April 10 Lenten Devotional "The Presence of God"

OPENING PRAYER. . .Loving God, Creator of all that is, here I am--today in this place that you have given me, with all the senses you have given me. Help me to use them to experience you on a deeper level. May I experience you all around me, open me to know more of your ways and know that your goodness surrounds me. Thank you for this time to be with you and to just listen. Amen

LISTEN. . .Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.  Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.  Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”   “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”  “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”  At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

CONSIDER. . .The Jewish authorities were totally unaware of the presence of God in Jesus. All the signs were there,  but they refused to see. As Jesus' hour approached, the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders heated up. It rose to the point of violence as they picked up stones to throw at Jesus. By using the phrase "I AM", Jesus clearly identified himself as one with God , his father, not Abraham.

SO WHAT. . .God who is utter mystery was made present in the person of Jesus the Christ. WOW, they didn't realize that they were in the presence of GOD.

The earth is crammed with heaven, and God is present in our world. It is to this created world that God sent his only son, Jesus, not to condemn the world but to save it.

• Where do you see the presence of God in all that surrounds you today?
• Are you rejoicing when you catch the presence of God in your everyday life?
• How can you be more aware of God interacting in your day to day life?

During this Lenten season you've been pushed to look deeper than just the surface. God wants us to see God's presence in the world God has created for us. . . we just have to be open to "God-sightings".

PRAYER. . .Jesus, light of the world. I pray that you will give me new eyes that I might be more aware of your holy presence in my life. Help me to look deeper than just the surface so I might see you in the world you have created for us. I pray that you will lead me to realize your presence in my life. Amen