Our God is Present

Last week while walking near our home, I noticed blossoms were bursting from the fruit trees everywhere I looked. They weren’t there the day before, but suddenly, the world was alive with pink and white blossoms. As I drove around our little town, it was as if every tree had gotten the memo: Burst Forth! It was glorious and reminded me of Isaiah 55:12 “For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

I could see and feel God’s presence everywhere. Of course, God was present the day before as well. I didn’t have the eyes to see. I couldn’t see His presence in the same way. It reminded me of one of the Hebrew names for God. Jehovah Shammah, The Lord is here. The Lord is present. He is present even when I can’t feel His presence or see Him at work.

I had taken the same walk the day before the display of blossoms. The tiny buds holding all the delight were already on the branches. The branches were attached to the tree trunk. Below the ground’s surface were the unseen roots nourishing the trunk, which nourished the branches that ultimately nourished the little buds. It was all there the day before, but I hadn’t noticed. The fact that I didn’t see did not change the truth of the presence of life, nourishment, and God’s glory getting ready to explode into sight.

Preparing, Nourishing, and Cultivating

Had the tiny buds been cut off from the branches, they would never have been able to serve their true purpose, which was to blossom. This is true for me when I do not stay connected to Jesus, my source of life. In John 15, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me and I in Him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” I may not see or feel God working, but HE is. Even when I feel spiritually dormant, He is still preparing, nourishing, and cultivating the soil of my soul as long as I stay connected to Him. He takes me through the various seasons of life just as He does the fruit trees.

There is a purpose in the trees’ dormant period. Fruit trees that do not go into winter dormancy will not grow well and will not produce a good yield. Our dormant times are a time of resting, reflecting, and being refreshed in the roots of our soul. These times may be difficult, but our spiritual fruit would not mature into the sweet taste and aroma of Christ without them. We would not appreciate the sweetness of God’s presence.

When Jesus was crucified, the disciples thought all was lost. Their Lord was gone, but He wasn’t. He was waiting to burst forth from the tomb. The disciples couldn’t see him and certainly didn’t feel His presence, but that did not change the fact that Jesus was about to demonstrate life and victory over death. What an awesome God we serve. Is it possible to fully grasp our Awesome God? Scripture declares: He is our salvation, our refuge, our strength, our joy, our substitute, and our shepherd. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is Emmanuel, God with us. There simply are not enough words to describe our God. In this season of celebrating and rejoicing His victory over death, leading to our eternal life, choose a name or several that describe Almighty God. Ask the Lord to reveal daily the truth of that name in your life. The tomb is empty! He has risen! Come, let us worship Him.

Blessings,

Personal Parables is the blog of Dyann Shepard. Get Dyann’s complementary study in Proverbs and prayer guide, What to Do When You Don’t Feel Good Enough. If you need encouragement to remember the truth about yourself in times of doubt and anxiety, this free 5-day study is for you. Follow Dyann and Personal Parables on Instagram and Facebook. Dyann is available for speaking, guest blogging, and article writing.

Scripture for Meditation

Verses to contemplate as you consider how our God is present! New post here.

Psalm 139 – O Lord you have searched me…

Psalm 8 – O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name…

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 11:25, 26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?