God is everywhere

‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.’ Psalm 91:1

It was a very ordinary group of trees and shrubs. As it was early spring the leaves hadn’t yet started to appear, so the branches stood out in their silhouetted beauty. At the base of the trees were shrubs of various shapes and sizes. It front there was an ordinary country wooden fence, partly broken in places. As the wind blew around, I sat sheltered in my car and I was struck by how ordinary everything was, yet to my eye it was a beautiful sight. Maybe I was seeing it with Christ-filled eyes.

It was a sight that has stayed in my mind. Like Wordsworth’s daffodils I keep recalling the scene. To my right had been the traffic driving by, but it was no distraction. Hidden behind the trees was a small industrial site. But none of this registered. Even months later I can recall the picture and the sense of God’s presence. He isn’t just felt in beautiful mountains or magnificent cathedrals. He is everywhere and in everything. But we do need to give ourselves time to feel Him. It’s a case of the still, small voice.

As a mature English woman I was travelling alone right across Russia with a party of Australians. Talk about being out of my comfort zone! My knowledge of Russian was about three words, the country I was travelling across was beautiful but strange to my Western eyes. The Australians were delightful and friendly, but their lifestyle was so different from mine. My only constant was God, He was with me all the way.

I was reminded of the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 139:10 ‘if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me.’ By reading and meditating on God’s word when I had the opportunity I could appreciate God’s beauty in creation, the majesty of some of Russia’s architecture and the kindness of the Russians. I appreciated the warmth and companionship of my fellow travellers, I recognised God in the eyes of the street children in Vladivostok and the military precision of the Kremlin guards. I was able to prove that God was indeed at the far ends of the earth.

Sometimes it takes being lonely to feel closer to God.

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Emmanuel, God with us. Our God is personal for us individually and corporately for us collectively. No other religion has a personal God. It is beyond wonder that He should have left heaven and come to live in our world for a season. It is incomprehensible that He should love us enough to die for our sins. And His giving doesn’t stop there. He has given us a wonderful world to live in, even if we do go about trying to destroy it! God is all things to all men, if only they would accept Him.

Our Emmanuel was there before the world began; He is Comforter to the brokenhearted, Teacher to the teachable, Companion to the lonely and a Saviour to the lost.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? He is present in the here and now. Our God will be there for all eternity. Our God is in Africa, Europe, Asia and every country you can name. For the young, the old and the in between He is there. We can’t lose Him; with the psalmist we can say ‘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.’ Psalm 139:7-8