ARE WE SAFE IN JESUS' PRESENCE?
So Mary came to the place where Jesus was. As soon as she caught sight of him she fell at his feet and said, "O sir, if you had only been here my brother would not have died." John 11:32, N.E.B.
A young wife and mother was sobbing her anguished prayer. "Father! Why did You let my husband die? Where were You? Did he not ask You to be with him the very day of the accident? Surely You would not have let this happen had You been there!"
There is a sentiment in that heart-wrenching prayer that is not far from many of us. Do we not start most every day with a prayer for God to be with us? And what is it that we wish to experience by His presence? Isn't it assumed that if He is present we will not face tragedy or heartache?
Certainly this is what Mary assumed when she confronted Jesus following Lazarus' death. She was certain that had He been there, nothing bad could have happened. Can't we identify with those feelings?
But what happens when tragedy does indeed happen to God's people? We quickly conclude either that God was not there or that He was powerless or uncaring while there. Seldom do we question our basic assumption about the effects of His presence.
You see, God's physical presence isn't the issue. Safety is assured not by being in His presence, but by being in His will. The focus of our prayers need not be that He should go with us but that we should walk in His paths, in harmony with His wise will.
Furthermore, the safety for which we should be the most concerned is not safety from disease, or even the first death. Lazarus himself was walking in Jesus' will, yet he died. But in the highest sense of the word he was safe. He was safe from the second death. As for that first death, Jesus simply called it a "sleep" and woke him up!
To long to be in Jesus' presence must mean so much more than wanting Him to be within shouting distance, or even being able to look Him in the eye. It must mean being united with Him in spirit, to sense the joy of harmony with Him in one's basic values. For only those who are close to Him in their souls will one day rejoice when He returns.
So Mary came to the place where Jesus was. As soon as she caught sight of him she fell at his feet and said, "O sir, if you had only been here my brother would not have died." John 11:32, N.E.B.
A young wife and mother was sobbing her anguished prayer. "Father! Why did You let my husband die? Where were You? Did he not ask You to be with him the very day of the accident? Surely You would not have let this happen had You been there!"
There is a sentiment in that heart-wrenching prayer that is not far from many of us. Do we not start most every day with a prayer for God to be with us? And what is it that we wish to experience by His presence? Isn't it assumed that if He is present we will not face tragedy or heartache?
Certainly this is what Mary assumed when she confronted Jesus following Lazarus' death. She was certain that had He been there, nothing bad could have happened. Can't we identify with those feelings?
But what happens when tragedy does indeed happen to God's people? We quickly conclude either that God was not there or that He was powerless or uncaring while there. Seldom do we question our basic assumption about the effects of His presence.
You see, God's physical presence isn't the issue. Safety is assured not by being in His presence, but by being in His will. The focus of our prayers need not be that He should go with us but that we should walk in His paths, in harmony with His wise will.
Furthermore, the safety for which we should be the most concerned is not safety from disease, or even the first death. Lazarus himself was walking in Jesus' will, yet he died. But in the highest sense of the word he was safe. He was safe from the second death. As for that first death, Jesus simply called it a "sleep" and woke him up!
To long to be in Jesus' presence must mean so much more than wanting Him to be within shouting distance, or even being able to look Him in the eye. It must mean being united with Him in spirit, to sense the joy of harmony with Him in one's basic values. For only those who are close to Him in their souls will one day rejoice when He returns.
RSS Feed
