Nougat 11

A few of us have been going through and in the moment may wonder about God’s presence. Today’s Holy Nougat offers perspective.

“Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Now that’s what we call being known!

God’s already on the path set before us, cushioning our steps (can you imagine what it would be like otherwise?), and knows us inside out. This is God’s choice, to know us so completely and to prepare for our needs. And, unlike a parent with a child monitor, God’s also aware of what is in our hearts.

Now we can process this in one of two ways. We can either celebrate the depth of God’s love manifested in omnipresence or we can get caught up in wondering about God’s tangible presence in the ‘one set of footsteps’ moments. I guess we can also vacillate between the two. The choice is ours. Of course, the choice we make influences our perspective, and in turn, our disposition.

For, if we celebrate God’s omnipresence, we learn to see God’s ‘cushioning’ in our going out and coming in. Not as one with our heads in the cloud but as ones who know that there’s no situation exclusive of God, even when we don’t tangibly sense God’s presence. (We choose to look at the ‘bright’ side).

There are moments where we ask why, and – valid though the question is – we find ourselves wondering whether God sees or cares about the rough patches. It is worth noting that the question doesn’t pose the challenge, it’s when we buy into the lie that God neither knows nor cares about us.

For, just as God practices restraint for our actions (whether good, bad, or ugly), so it is that God’s obliged to permit others that free will. More importantly, it is for us to ensure that our steps and our lying down are aligned with God’s will. Our mandate ought to be about pleasing God.

Can those of us who were getting bogged down with the with God’s seeming absence consciously choose to see God’s handiwork in the details? The impact is far reaching for our own lives and for others.

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May all we seek be found in Christ