Skip to main content

At Hand and Occurring Now

In a recent post, I wrote about seeking the Lord’s presence.  In another post I wrote that Jesus welcomed sinners into His presence.

A related word to presence is “present”.  And that word is what I want to focus on in this post.  So, as I consider His presence, I’d really like His presence to be present in the present.  Let me explain!

The word “present” has many meanings including existing or occurring now and being in view or at hand.  But the definition is so inadequate when it when it has something about God.  Some examples:

“It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”  (Rom 3:26) 

In contrast to what occurred in previous times, Jesus, at a specific point in time, showed His righteousness so that we might be justified by His work on the cross.  And while that event occurred at a particular time in history, it stands for all time and any one since that point in time who puts their faith in Jesus are justified by Him. 

“But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.”  (Ps 14:5) 

God is present, as in at hand or being there, in the company of the righteous.  And while God is everywhere at all times, there still can be a special awareness of His presence when the righteous are gathered together.

I ran across a verse that seems to combine, in a very meaningful way, the aspects of occurring now and being at hand:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  (Ps 46:1)

The Expanded Version of the Bible translates 46:1 as:  “God is our protection [refuge] and our strength. He always helps [is an ever present/timely help] in times of trouble [distress].”

The word “present” as stated in this verse tells us that He is present with us as our help (as in at hand) and His help is presently available to us (as in occurring now).

So as I consider His presence, I really do want His presence to be present in the present.  And you know what, it is!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excel Still More!

To excel, according to some of the meanings from a few dictionaries, is to surpass others, do extremely well, outdo, do something better than anyone else. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, we find the phrase “excel still more”.   It prompts the question:  if we are already doing something better than anyone else, why would we be encouraged to do even more? Perhaps it would be helpful to see the wording that other translations use for “excel still more” to see why we would be encouraged to do so.  Here is a sampling: • abound more and more • to keep doing so more and more • but try even harder • live that way more and more. • that you progress even more. • that you increase more and more in how you ought to walk Maybe it would also be helpful to see some other verses where the word “excel” is used: “Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.”...
Post a Comment
Read more

Value Proposition

Value proposition:  it’s a marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service.  It should clearly and concisely communicate what customers can gain from selecting a particular brand over that of its competitors. In a value proposition, you don’t want your product to be viewed as being worth less than what your competitors offer.   But even worse, in a bit of a quirk of how letters and spaces can fall, if you take out the space between “worth” and “less”, you get “worthless”, which means something of no value.   If that word is used in conjunction with how your product is viewed by customers, it’s a word that will likely kill your brand. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul, in a sense, communicated some value propositions. In chapter three, he starts off with describing the value of some things that many considered as extremely valuable in that day and age.   They had to do with status and achievement in the reli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open Immediately

The envelope had a specific command prominently printed on the outside.  It said “Open Immediately”. Immediately normally means now or without waiting; without interval of time. The envelope also had a company name prominently printed on the outside.  It was “Endurance”. Endurance normally is t he ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity; the ability to keep doing something difficult, unpleasant, or painful for a long time. There are times when we want God to respond immediately, as without interval of time: “ But you, O Lord , do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!”  (Ps 22:19). And there are other times when we are glad that God responds slowly, as in sustained over a long time:  “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord , the Lord , the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger , abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Ex 34:6) Intentional or not, the printing on that envelope was a contradiction in te...
Post a Comment
Read more