Tag: omnipresence

The Eye of God

Carl Pollard

We used to sing a song in church growing up called, “There’s An Eye Watching You.” The chorus goes like this, “watching you, watching you, every day mind the course you pursue; watching you, watching you, there’s an all-seeing eye watching you.” As a kid and even into adulthood, I would sing this song and envision a giant eyeball in the sky. While this isn’t case, maybe it would do us good to think of God’s eye watching us each day. 

Psalm 33:13-14 says, “The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth.”

If God sees “all the inhabitants of the earth,” He is automatically breaking the laws of time and space. Tanzania, Africa is 8 hours ahead of where I am in Kentucky. Cambodia is 12 hours ahead. Half the world is asleep because half the world is in darkness at any given point in time. God is naturally present in every aspect of the natural order of things, in every manner, time and place. He sees EVERYONE! 

God saw Hagar when she was on the run from Sarah (Gen. 16), and Hagar gives God a new name…”the God who sees” because God saw she was in need and helped her.

God saw righteous Noah in a world of wickedness. God saw Cain when he slaughtered his brother. God saw Israel in Egyptian captivity. God saw Joseph thrown into a pit and sold off by his brothers. God saw David as he hid from Saul and his men while they were trying to kill him. God saw Abraham obey His words and try to sacrifice his son Isaac. God saw His own Son, abused, rejected, spit on, and killed. God saw the early church as they were persecuted for following Christ. God sees you as you’re reading this article right now. God sees every deed and it is written down for the judgement day. 

God sees everyone. Proverbs 15:3, “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” We live in a physical world with its four known space-time dimensions of length, width, height (or depth) and time. However, God dwells in a different realm—the spirit realm—beyond the perception of our physical senses. It’s not that God isn’t real; it’s a matter of His not being limited by the physical laws and dimensions that govern our world. 

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isaiah 57:15, ESV). God is spirit in the realm of timelessness rather than flesh in the sphere of time.

As Christians, we have a deep sense of comfort knowing that God, though timeless and eternal, is in time with us right now; He is not unreachably transcendent, but right here in this moment with us. And because He’s in this moment, He can respond to our needs and prayers.

We serve an incredible God. There’s no denying His amazing power and holiness. 

A God who created everything with His Words. A God who sees all the inhabitants of the earth. A God who has the power and might to be everywhere on this earth at one time. A God who looked at me, who looked at you, and saw that we needed a savior. 

So why then do we understand God’s power and yet still neglect our prayer life to Him? Or forget to study His Holy word? He sees what we do with our time, so make the most of it! 

True understanding of Who God is will always result in righteous living.

God’s Solutions For Our Problems

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

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Dale Pollard

It’s been said that the there are more stars in the known universe than all of the sand on earth combined. That being said, in just one grain of sand there are more atoms than all of the stars. That’s pretty amazing. Our planet is but a speck in the grandeur of space. Countless stars, planets, galaxies, lightyears and somehow God is well aware of the happenings of people. Have you stood on the mountain tops? Have you observed the power of the oceans as the waves crash on the shore? Has your heart almost stopped after the vibrating sensation of a thunder clap resonates in your chest? The might of the Creator is everywhere in the world around us and at times it just demands to be noticed. 
A section of scripture that is mysterious and fascinating is found in 1 Kings 19:11-13. The Lord of hosts is about to show Himself to a depressed and exhausted Elijah, but in a way that he would never forget. “The Lord said, ‘go out on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out to stand at the mouth of the cave. Then the voice said, ‘what are you doing here Elijah?’” In the solitude of Horeb, Elijah seeks to avoid the troubles of his world. 
The acoustics of the mountainous area along with the time spent in silence must have made the shattering rocks, raging fire, splitting hills, and rumbling earth all but deafening and definitely a terrifying display of divine power. Then in sharp contrast, a still whisper comes. This gentleness, no doubt, is the reason Elijah decides to cautiously emerge from his hiding place. God is teaching His worn-out servant a lesson that holds true for us today. The fact is, there is no more God, His wisdom, power, and presence in an earthquake than there is in the sweet breath of a blooming flower. The quiet ticking of a wrist watch reveals just as much intelligence and purpose as does the striking of a clock tower’s bell. 
One may walk out into an open field at night and stare up into the vast sky, lit up with numerous twinkling stars and declare, “I’ve found God!” But God is no more in the sky than He is in the blades of grass flattened beneath your feet. The question came to Elijah from that still voice, “What are you doing here?” To the prophet, his problems were too great and too large and his solution was to run and hide. God, in a magnificent way, is trying to remind Elijah of his place.
 Our place in life is not to take matters into our own hands or solve life’s many difficulties on our own. The answer is not to run away, but to walk humbly with our awesome God. He is strong enough to lift our burdens, wise enough to counsel us, patient enough to allow us to learn, and loving enough to constantly forgive. 

How To Avoid Worrying About Your Kids

Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

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Neal Pollard

For those not on social media and connected either with Kathy or any of our three sons, Carl, our youngest (and Thursday’s blog writer), was in a serious motorcycle accident a little over a week ago. A large pickup truck tried to turn left onto the highway and Carl hit it going highway speed. Our concern was for both his immediate safety and longterm health. Add this to two sons unofficially assisting police in breaking up a local theft ring, a son tackling a shoplifter attempting to flee a store and interrupting a gang initiation beating, broken bones, ER trips, ICU stints for health issues, and that’s not to mention innumerable “close calls,” “near misses,” “close shaves,” and “narrow escapes.”  Of course, it’s not just health. What about their relationships? What about their jobs, careers, and financial futures? What about the country they are inheriting or the children God may bless them with? Most of all, what about their spiritual condition, their faith, and their relationship with Christ? With each new phase of life, we are left to numerous consider “what ifs.” For future empty-nesters, that does not decline or disappear when they leave home. If anything, it mounts. So, how does a Christian not worry about their children?

Philippians 4:6. Paul urges us to “be anxious for nothing.” That word for anxious depicts apprehension, being unduly concerned about possible danger or misfortune. We can drive ourselves crazy thinking of all the scary scenarios. Paul says instead to pray (speak to God and petition His help), supplicate (urgently request God to meet the need, suggesting begging and pleading), and express gratitude. Specifically articulate the help you seek from God. Won’t this just make things worse? Not at all. Instead, “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (7).

Luke 12:25-26. Luke records Jesus’ voluminous teaching on various material concerns. In the middle of it, Jesus shares a principle that applies to any number of matters. He teaches, “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?” What a practical, sensible truth. What do we change by endless fretting and worrying? Does it change outcomes? Does the exercise of worry keep the bad and scary things from occurring? Does it override the freewill choices of our children or others? We are at one place at a time. God knows everything (30). “He who keeps you will not slumber…nor sleep” (Psa. 121:3-4). Trust that! 

Matthew 6:33. What Matthew records is close to parallel to the material in Luke 12, though the wording and setting are different. The counsel here is about prioritization. It’s hard to “let go and let God,” but that’s Jesus’ bottom-line guidance. Again, in context, He’s dealing with material things rather than our kids. But substituting the one concern for the other does not change the principle. We are well-served to practice “God-firstness” from as early as possible, before our children are born. We should strive to live by that principle throughout the years they are in our homes, trying to show it to them. Then, we must continue to live it out personally and exemplify it before them after they leave the home. God’s kingdom, His will, His righteousness, His goals, His Word comes first and foremost. Keeping focus on that, trust Him to take care of not only us but those whose lives we care about. Jesus sweetly consoles us, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (34).

1 Peter 5:7. I love how Peter acknowledges that we all have anxiety. We’re all tempted (and all of us at least occasionally succumb to the temptation) to worry. Peter’s words are practical. Humbling yourself under God’s all-powerful hand, throw all your anxieties on Him. He is strong enough to carry it. Do you know what’s the best part? Not only can He do it, He wants to. Why? He cares for you! He’s your Father. “Care” here means concern and anxiousness. Our lives matter to Him. His heart is involved. We may not stop to think that all of us are His children. The difference is that this Father can see the future, is fully in control, will never be startled or surprised, and never lacks for what to say, how to react, and what to do. How foolish not to give Him the things we would obsess over, be consumed with, and eaten up by. 

I wish I could tell you I will never worry about Gary, Dale, and Carl again. Those who know them know what a tall task that is. I wish I could tell you that you will never worry about your precious children again. But, none of us should. We can make progress and get better if we’ll feed on the rich truths of passages like the ones we’ve visited briefly together today. Go back and read them again. Drink deeply of their comforting, helpful truths. They will help you trust Him more with whatever frightening prospects you face regarding your children’s lives. I don’t promise. He does! 

 

Saturday at Hebron church of Christ (where Carl, center, preaches). This was at Carl and Emily’s wedding shower. The boys had just returned from hunting wild hogs near Demopolis, AL. It never ends!

Is God Really Everywhere at Once?

Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

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Carl Pollard

One of the most mind boggling topics we can study is the omnipresence of God. When one contemplates the power of God, it is easy to see why so many are intimidated by this subject. Most who believe in God believe in His ability to be in every location on earth at one time, and by recognizing God as the creator, we are automatically ascribing Him as the Author of time.
God is the creator of time, and as humans we are stuck in a timeline. We see everything through the eyes of time. The date we were born, the day we got married, and what time our doctors appointment is next week. God isn’t bound to time the way we are.
2 Peter 3:8 says, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God does not experience time the same way we do. What seems like forever to us is just a second to God, and what seems like a moment to us is forever to God. God has the power to move through His creation unrestricted. The laws of the universe do not apply to Him because He is not a part of the universe in the same sense that you and I are. God is spirit, not matter or physical substance to be measured and weighed. He is The Almighty God and is not bound to His creation of time.
Psalm 33:13-14 reads, “The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth.” If God sees all the inhabitants of the earth, He is automatically breaking the laws of time and space. For example, I am writing this blog at 6:24 PM. At this very moment it is 2:24 AM in Dar es Salaam. It is 6:24 AM in Bangkok. It is 11:24 AM in New Zealand. God sees those who are awake on half the planet, and those who are asleep on the other half. God is naturally present in every aspect of the natural order of things, in every manner, time, and place.
God is omnipresent, and it is very important for us to understand this. A God with this much power and holiness, that is everywhere on earth at any given moment, takes the time to listen to us. A God who created everything with His Words, sees all the inhabitants of the earth, and has the power and might to be everywhere on this earth at one time is the God who looked at me and you and saw that we needed a Savior.
What an incredible God we serve!
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“AND HE WILL BE THE STABILITY OF YOUR TIMES”

Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

pollard

Neal Pollard

In a world facing ever-changing circumstances, we need to be reminded of some truths about God. A great text that can help us do this is found in the writings of the Messianic prophet, Isaiah. He tells us some exciting facts about God in Isaiah 33:5-6.  In brief, Isaiah reminds us of God’s transcendence (“exalted…on high”), His trustworthiness (“has filled Zion with justice and righteousness”), and His treasure (“a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure”).  In the midst of upholding God’s perfect character, the prophet makes this reassuring statement: “And He will be the stability of your times.”

In part, here is what that means to us today…

  • There is no minimum distance we have to keep from Him under any circumstance (Jas. 4:8).
  • There is no restriction or limit on our access to Him and His blessings, on prayer or His Word (Phil. 4:19). 
  • There is no chance that you will look for Him and He will not be there (Psa. 50:15).
  • There is no possibility that you will learn that what was true of Him yesterday is not true of Him today (or tomorrow)(Heb. 13:8)
  • There is no cancellation policy at the throne of grace for the child of God (Heb. 4:16).
  • There is no threat or danger that can keep you from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39).
  • There is no earthly thing to nullify the truth that “the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid” (Heb. 13:6). 
  • The more we expose ourselves to Him, the healthier we will be.
  • There is zero chance that you will go to Him for healing and have it fail (Jer. 8:22; Luke 5:31).

Scripture calls Him the Rock (Deut. 32:4), the shield (2 Sam. 22:31), my protection (Isa. 27:5), my shield, stronghold, and protection (2 Sam. 22:3), and a strong tower (Prov. 18:10). As Nebuchadnezzar understood, “all His works are true and His ways just” (Dan. 4:37). 

Take heart. Take on the day. Take comfort and refuge. “And He will be the stability of your times.”

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Random great photo: courtesy Baker Street Photography