By Staff
In the Old Testament book of Genesis, we are told of a man named Enoch. In verse 24 of chapter 5, we read, "Enoch walked with God."
The life of Enoch intimidates us in that we perceive him to have been some kind of super hero, a person who had reached an unattainable level. Enoch was a special person, but it is possible that he was no different than we are, except that he chose to consciously walk in the awareness that God exists, that He can be trusted, and that He acts in our behalf.
God is Master, not servant. He is omniscient in that He is everywhere all at the same time. King David speaks of the ever-abiding presence of God in Psalms, chapter 139, where he says in verses 7-8, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths; you are there."
We can rebel against the ever-present God by rejecting His claims, or we can ally with Him by acknowledging Him and living our lives in a constant state of dependence and obedience to Him.
It makes good sense to align ourselves with the Creator of the universe, the One who set everything in motion and maintains everything by His power (Colossians 1:16-17).
God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ promised His presence in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verse 20: "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The presence of Christ is not physical; He is present through the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to every believer, as recorded in the gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 16-17: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth." Jesus continues his communication about the Holy Spirit: "he lives with you and will be in you." We have the presence of God the Father and the power of Jesus Christ the Son through the person of the Holy Spirit. God is with us now as much as when Jesus Christ the Son of God walked with His disciples on the earth.
When you walk with God, you should not expect your life to be normal. The Creator God is walking with you. Once again, He is Master, not servant, but He is certainly committed to us.
The presence of Jesus Christ with His disciples resulted in many miracles-all of them with the purpose of glorifying God and confirming that Jesus Christ is divine.
The miracles of Jesus Christ consisted of the dead being raised, the sick being healed, demonic spirits being cast out of people, plus some supernatural acts that were eminently practical.
In the gospel of John, chapter 2, Jesus was at a wedding with His mother. They ran out of wine at the wedding party. Jesus miraculously turned some water into wine and the party continued unabated.
On another occasion Jesus went to Peter's house. Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever. Jesus touched her, healed her, and she immediately got out of bed and served them (Matthew 8:14-15).
Jesus was traveling across the Sea of Galilee with His disciples in a boat. Jesus was taking a nap when a furious storm swept down on the lake. The winds and waves were about to swamp the boat. The disciples woke Jesus up and asked Him to save them from the storm. Jesus spoke to the winds and the waves and immediately the sea was calm (Matthew 8:23-26).
If Jesus did all those things for the practical needs and safety of His followers, we should be confident that He will exercise the same care for us.
God does not always act in supernatural deliverance. Sometimes He allows us to live with disability, danger, and even death, but His presence abides with us through His grace. The apostle Paul had some physical malady. Paul called it "a thorn in my flesh." Paul asked God three times to take it away. God said no to the removal of the thorn, but God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). A miracle? No. God's presence? Yes.
As we go through life, we can choose to walk with God acknowledging Him, or we can choose to walk alone rejecting His love and abiding presence. The fact is, He is there, whether we acknowledge Him or not.