I have a million thoughts swirling through my head this morning. I’m excited about Bible Study tonight, I’m excited about my wife and 2 of my kids getting to experience Kairos camp next week, I’m excited about Sunday coming, I’m tired just thinking about VBS last week and prepping for vacation a week from now.  All of those things add up to normal life for most of us. Busyness, stress, adrenaline rush, accomplishing one task after another…

But this morning my devotion stopped me in my tracks. I’m sure it should do that every day, but sadly, it doesn’t – and I’m sure that’s my fault, not God’s.

I’m reading a devotion series by A W Tozer called “The Pursuit of God”. It’s one of the plans on the You Version Bible App or Bible.com.  Here are the two phrases I read this morning that stopped me – “The Presence of God and the manifestation of the Presence of God are not the same. There can be the one without the other. God is here when we are wholly unaware of it”.
“He promised much, but promised no more than He intends to fulfill”

Wow – I have lived years of my life never recognizing the presence of God in my life, my circumstances, my relationships, my jobs, my responsibilities, my finances, my successes, my failures, my….  I have had spurts of knowing God was with me. I’ve seen Him work and move in people’s lives. I’ve seen Him change people, and change circumstances, but the thought of Him being literally with me every second of every day has escaped me. I have equated His presence with His blessing. If He was around then I would be blessed, and If I wasn’t being blessed, then He wasn’t around.

The truth is, He IS with me every second whether I choose to acknowledge Him or not. He is right next to me when I’m having the #bestdayever or when I feel like #lifesucks. He is there – ready to act, ready to comfort, ready to extend grace to me and through me, ready to love, ready to change a life.

He promised much, but promised no more than He intends to fulfill – He promised to be WITH me – and He is.

PWG