Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 16, 2013): Psalm 139

There is a mythical story about a teacher that had been heavily influenced by the philosophies of the “God is Dead” movement. Having achieved the epiphany that in reality there really was no God he walked into his classroom and wrote on the blackboard “GOD IS NOWHERE.” At no time during the class did he open up the statement for discussion. It was simply a fact that his students needed to understand – everything in this life was left up to a combination of their own personal efforts and chance – there was no God to whom the students should pray.

But according to the story, at one of the breaks in the class, one of the students decided that discussion was important. This unknown student slipped up to the blackboard and simply drew a line – totally changing the meaning of the teacher’s words. The phrase now read – “GOD IS NOW/HERE”

It is the persistent challenge of man since the beginning of our existence. Once man evolved to the point where independent thought was possible - once our intelligence grew to the point where we could begin to have a rudimentary knowledge of the universe – the argument began over the idea that “God is nowhere” and “God is now here.” Even in the biblical creation epic, after sin enters the world Adam and Eve try to make the transition from “God is now here” and therefore we walk with him in the garden in the cool of the day, to “God is nowhere” and, therefore, I can hide from him and act as if he never existed. It is the challenge of every church that I am aware of, where people come and act on Sunday as if “God is now here,” but from Monday to Saturday operates as if “God is nowhere.”

Again, these psalms of David were written late in David’s life. He had the privilege of looking back at his life and examine the events that had taken place. David’s life was not without “spot or wrinkle.” In his memory there were many things that he was to blame for and that he wished he could change, but that is not an option for David – or any of us. But the one constant was that he had experienced a God that was now here, even in the moments when he wished that God was nowhere. And so as he pens this Psalm, he asks the question that had plagued him all of his life – how can I hide from God?

My reality is that God is now here. I agree with David, there is no place available to me where I can hide from him – even when every fiber of my being wishes that there was. God is now here - and that is a game changer. No matter what it is that you believe; God is now here is the spiritual truth under which you act. And he will do one of two things in your life – he will sit quietly in the background and simply watch you live, or he will actively come and help you be all that you can – and want - to be. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 140 & 141