“…The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
– Jesus (Luke 17:20-21)
Often, when we are in pain or feeling isolated, we wonder where our God is. We may even echo the despaired cry of our Lord as He hung on the cross, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?!” It is in these desperate moments that we easily forget that He is ruling in His Kingdom … a Kingdom which is in our midst – or within us, as some translations read. The intended meaning is that He is here, at hand, immediate to our need and our cry. He is available to us at once.
Of course we all know that, and we confess it, but our expression of belief often denies that. We tend to view God as apart from us, sitting His throne and ruling at some heightened distance, far off where we need to cry out towards in order to gain His attention and care. We think we’re alone and we act accordingly in our follow up emotions.
“Why won’t you answer me, God?! Where are you?!”
We cry out when we are on our knees before Him. We lament this same thought to our friends who sit with us. We try to console ourselves with a warm drink and comfortable chair. The worship music that we play brings tears to our eyes. The message of the TV evangelist resonates with our own opinion that God doesn’t forsake His children … but what kind of people are we then, that He does forsake us? We are so alone and we do not know where God is.
“Why won’t you answer me, God?! Where are you?!”
What we can fail to realize is that God was there as we knelt in prayer, our defenses broken and our hearts ready to hear. He was present in our gratitude for a comfort that can calm and console us. He was there when those friends sat with us, whose hearts reached out to us in empathy and hopes that we would not feel such pain. He was there in the song, written by one of His children who wanted to share their joy in knowing Him. And He was there in His spoken Word that the preacher conveyed, the truth about who our Father is. And we can miss that because we are looking “out there” to see His answer. We can miss that He has answered five times already.
So where is God then? He is in the outpouring of love one person extends to another. He is in the compassion one feels towards another who struggles. He is in the joy and hope that resonates from a song of praise. He is in the gratitude and appreciation of His provision. He is in everything He has told us He is.
“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
– Jesus (Matthew 28:20)
What this means is, when you are looking for God, He is right there in your confession of His Word. He is there the moment you set your heart to speak with Him. He is there when you reach out in love or compassion or mercy. He is there when you quietly rest in gratitude. God is God, sovereign and all powerful, and you are God’s method. And so is everyone who hears His voice and responds to Him.
When you are downtrodden and depressed and a friend knocks on your door, do you think God still hasn’t answered you? Yet that friend is there because his or her heart reaches out to you, and it reaches out to you because God stirred that up in them. They are bringing God to you. And while you are preoccupied waiting for a mountain to move, God is present with an answer that will bring that mountain low – through you.
God is God, sovereign and all powerful, and you are God’s method.
Which is the better gift? Having a mountain moved for you, or being able to move mountains?
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”
– Jesus (Mark 11:23)
Your friend is inspired by God to come to you in order to stir up your faith in the answer God has already given you. Rejoice! 😀
Your gratitude for the small comfort that you seek to console yourself with is God stirring up your remembrance that He is near and that you are not forgotten. Rejoice! 😀
The tears and the smiles inspired by that song of praise is God stirring your heart to turn to Him and worship by sharing your heart with Him, both the sorrow and the joy. Rejoice! 😀
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
– Paul (Philippians 4:4)
Don’t be confused into thinking that God revealed in your compassion, or in your response to a friend’s outreach of love, or your inspiration from a preaching, or a song that stirs your heart and voice is somehow just a whisper of the mighty God seated in Heaven. God revealed in those moments IS the mighty God seated in Heaven – seated in His Kingdom – which is in our midst – within each of us. Rejoice! 😀
That friend who comes to see you is bringing that awesome Father before Whom the demons tremble and flee in order to stir up that same all powerful God Who resides in you. Does that shake up your preconceived ideas a bit about what God’s intervention should look like? It should. He is mighty through us – each mortal, fragile one of us – even little old you.
“…’My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’…”
– God (2 Corinthians 12:9)
*** Important: We do not just lay back and trust that God can move our mountain. We stand up knowing that through us, God will move our mountain. We act.
God is God, sovereign and all powerful, and you are God’s method.
Ask yourselves, when we are at our lowest and feeling most alone, why do we hide ourselves away? Why do we avoid phone calls, and Bible studies, and church, and friends and family? Because that’s the enemy deceiving us to move away from where God is. The enemy knows God is there where we are encouraged and encouraging one another.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
– Jesus (Matthew 18:20)
And the enemy trembles. So where is God? He is with you, and He is in every response you have to Him. Your love for a struggling friend will move mountains for them and strengthen them to be able to move their own mountains, and the mountains of others. The moment you pray, the moment you reach out, the moment you breath a thank You – those are moments when God is present in fullness.
Fill yourself with God’s Word. Inspire your hearts with God’s songs. Encourage one another amongst God’s children. And move your mountain.
God is God, sovereign and all powerful, and you are God’s method.
Ask. Then act like the answer is yes … because it is.
