January 12, 2023 – A Question Of Presence

January 12, 2023
Daily Reading – Genesis 25 – 26 / Matthew 9:1-17

GOD’S WORD:

Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    In a room full of people, you see someone across the way and yell Hello! Hey, hello! However, it appears they do not hear you. As you begin to make your way through the crowd, along the way people stop to exchange pleasantries. You are not trying to be rude, but your focus is really somewhere else, and at times it feels as if these people are trying to stop you from getting to them. All you can think of is getting to the person you want to be near across the room. Even though you are around so many people, you feel almost alone. You wave your hand, jump up a bit, but nothing. Finally, you reach them, and they are so happy to see you. As you begin to talk, the people who seemed to be your hindrances, now appear more inviting and friendly. What happened? You finally were near who you wanted to be around, and their presence now makes everything ok.

    God has promised that He will be near believers always. Yet at times it may feel as if He is so far away. As in our example above the reason may be that God is near, but something is hindering our fellowship. In our reading of Genesis today, Isaac had moved from where God told him to be. While away, God was there and watched over him, but His presence seemed absent. When Isaac returned to where God told him to be, the struggles stopped, and God spoke with him again. When He did, Isaac knew that all was right with God again. 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  Does it ever feel as if God has left you? He has not. In Hebrews 13:5 He promised to never leave nor forsake us. Examine where you are. It might be you have wandered off where God has said we should not go. 

If God seems distant, could it be our fellowship is hindered?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12