Recognizing God's Presence

 Today, we live in a world where people thrive on being busy. We fill up our days with meetings, miscellaneous tasks and errands, or simply anything that will occupy our time. Whether or not these things are productive or actually accomplish anything is oftentimes an afterthought (if we even think about it at all.) In doing so, we tend to overlook the little things in life. There are so many moments that pass by, so many people that go unnoticed, and so many opportunities that we miss. If we would slow down, be intentional with our actions, and actually take time to notice everything that is going on around us, we might see that God shows himself through these little things.

            I don’t know about you but for me, sometimes when I think of God I think in too much of a big picture. What I mean by that is I notice, think about, and talk to God in the important moments but do not recognize his presence throughout the course of daily life; we turn to God for praise when things are going great, and we turn to God for hope when things are going poorly. In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis discusses the notion that too much agony might even be disliked by Satan and his followers, stating that in such times of uncertainty and chaos more people will turn to God. In moments that are larger than life, we search for answers, and God is an answer to which we typically come. But his presence can be easily forgotten when things are status quo. But the reality is, while God is indeed larger than life, those are not the only moments in which God exists. He is not simply a solution to our problems, or the answer to our pressing questions, He is the whole reason we live our lives in the first place.

Our relationship with God changes throughout our lives, but that is because of who we are, not because God himself changes. While it may seem like He changes, God is actually the one true constant in our lives.  We are the ones who must allow ourselves to recognize and appreciate his faithfulness in every aspect of our lives; we must strive to create a stronger and more intentional relationship. The reason our relationship with God has these ups and downs and twists and turns is oftentimes because we are so caught up in our busy lives that we don’t recognize when He is there in the small moments. Once we have accepted Christ into our lives and have chosen to follow him it is quite literally impossible for us to exist without his presence.

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

I would like to leave us all with a challenge. The challenge is this: In the midst of the unpredictable times in which we are currently living, let’s all take time this week to stop what we’re doing and appreciate the moment that God has given us. Let’s take a few moments this week, back away from the busyness we have created for ourselves, and cherish the little things through which God shows his everlasting love.  

*This blog was written by Blake Batchelor, who is a junior at the University of South Alabama and is currently the worship leader for the Wesley Foundation.

God in the Little Moments

So many things that we once viewed as part of our normal daily routine has been stripped from us these passed few weeks and has left us in an awkward place of idleness. At least, this has become my new reality. Being forced to move back home away from friends, school, and normalcy has taken a toll on my life as I am sure it has on yours. My weekly routine was set which included doing something church related five out of seven days a week. One of my biggest worries about coming back home was how I was going to maintain and continue to grow in my faith and serve the Lord as I was doing at school. I’m sure many of you felt this same sense of anxiety whether you acknowledged it or not. It was easy and comfortable to gather together with fellow believers and fellowship together week in and week out, but when that is taken away it is solely up to us to seek out the same sense of community and fellowship.

 I know for me, it is easier for me to set time aside to spend with the Lord when I am busy and in the throws of daily life, but when I was left with nothing but time, I struggled. After getting over the pity party I was throwing for myself, I realized that this new-found time could actually be a blessing and a tool to grow in Christ. One way I have personal found to be the most impactful in my life, and I encourage all of you to do the same, is to look for God in the little moments. Psalm 46:10 says, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” I encourage every one of you to take time during this quarantine to take time to be still. Stillness is not idleness. Stillness is listening and standing firm. For me, I am able to find stillness in the morning with a cup of coffee and standing on my back porch listening to creation around me. Though a simple and what could easily be a missed opportunity, I am able to focus and hone in on what the Lord is speaking into my life at that moment. Another way I am able to find stillness is listening to praise music as I do something as simple as cleaning my room. I use the powerful words from the songs to worship and give praise to the God of the Universe no matter my circumstance. Another way I have found that centers my thoughts on Christ is thanking Him for the many blessings He has bestowed on us. I’ve also found that starting a Bible study with a friend helps to recreate the sense of community we lost when we were separated. 

Some of you might be wondering how these things I have just described are little moments, but the truth is, these are my little moments. Each one of us has our own little moments where we feel God show up and show up big. I just want to encourage you to go after and chase your little moment with God. Do not be overwhelmed with the amount of free time you might have but use that time to search your heart and fall more in love with God Almighty. Find your small moment with the Lord and dwell in it. When you encounter a moment with the Lord, share it with someone else. Encourage one another as I am attempting to encourage you. Matthew 7:7-8 read, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Use this week to seek out your own little moments with the Lord and be encourage by Him even in the midst of our chaotic world.

*This blog post was written by Ashley Parker. Ashley is a Freshman at South Alabama.*