Greetings
I pray that you are in good spirits no matter where you are. I woke with a desire to remind someone that God is with us always. And that’s the reflection on today’s Holy Nougat
“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” Matthew 28:20 NLT
So, here’s a question for each of us – how long is ALWAYS?
I agree that there is a sense in which none of us can truly define Always, since we are finite and liminal beings, and always is infinite and beyond our capacity to measure. But, we have all determined that always is permanent and never-ending. Yet, despite our hazy acceptance of always in that sense, our experiences of finitude (impermanence; the capacity to die or end) and perhaps the shifting tides of seasons and time; it is hard to fathom God being with us always.
So; let’s start with a moment of clarification – have we ever experienced the presence of God in a way that we KNEW, beyond the shadow of a doubt, it was God with us? If no, time to ask God for a personal visit like Moses did. If yes however, think back to that moment …
– How did you know it was God with you
– What was happening when you had that experience
– What impact has it had on you?
My experiences of God’s presence have convinced me that when God says through Jesus, ‘I am with you’; that’s exactly what God means. And although the deeply profound connection is sometimes diminished, my sense of God being with me is constant.
Contrary to what my doubts and fears would try to say; I know that Always is always when the promise comes from God. Not sometimes. Not if I feel like being with you. But every step of the way! Just like Paul says in Romans – Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Or, as David rhapsodized, if I take the wings and fly, You are with me. And when I descend to my depths of depression, obsession, pain, doubts and fears of Sheol – even at my worst – You are still with me.
Always … Forever and a day … beyond the longest stretch of my imagination … God is; and has promised through Jesus; proven through God’s Spirit that Always is always and that’s a long long time!
Good morning
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
