Where Are You?

“I Like that About Him”

“The Lord will work out his plans for my life—    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.    Don’t abandon me, for you made me”. Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

Before I came to know Christ personally as an adult, God was an unclear concept that I could not relate to or grasp. My mom was my first vicar. She tried to teach me scripture by singing to me, ethical principles, that she modeled, how to fight (that was funny), and hard work. You see back in the day I used to actually do more than play outside as a kid. I was one of those uninspired cleaners who had Sat morning chores (those were the times I wanted to hid). I hated it when my mother woke me up early, she would call out to me in her soft patience voice and say, “Ronnie where are you” it was time to sweep, and mop”, all of the floors in our apartment as well, the three levels in our building among the projects of Cincinnati’s West End,” Laurel Homes”.

You see the first question God asks in the Bible is “Where are you?”(Genesis 3:8) Adam and Eve had just sinned, and in their fear and confusion they ran away from God. I believe that God knew where Adam was, I believe he wanted Adam to think: “What has sin done to me? Why did I leave God, and why am I running away from Him?’ That question was posed to Adam, but it’s actually directed to you and me, as well. Every sinner is running from God, and the Bible says that our sins have separated us from Him Isaiah 59:2

Even though She introduced me to Jesus early as a child. I always knew she was not God, but she seemed like it much of the time.  I confused her with God because she was patient, long-suffering and gentle. Her voice was always inspiring full of love. Drawn more by her example I still as a kid practiced questions on other family members, friends and strangers first to give me an idea of where such a view of God comes from, as well as where the Jesus conversation might go, to give me confidence and understand this vague concept even more as a child.

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6-7

Did you know that the longest list of questions found in the Bible is made up of questions asked by God? In Job chapters 38 and 39, God poses query after query to His servant Job, who has daily begged for answers to some tough, heart-wrenching questions of his own.

Instead of providing Job with simple answers, God delivers a string of thought-provoking riddles. They start with words like "Who? Where? When? Have you? Can you? Do you know?" He describes all the miracles of the animal kingdom, and He talks about the weather and the solar system and other mysteries of nature. God asked Job questions in order to remind him that His ways are often beyond our understanding. Some people try to melt God down and put Him in a test tube so they can define Him and understand Him, but this is a mistake. The Bible says, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways" (Isaiah 55:9).

Some years after the death of my mom I was having a feeling of spiritual emptiness and abandonment, so while having a rock skipping contest with my Uncle Buddy on a lake where we fished at and Being a deep thinker, I asked him,” uncle Buddy, you ever wondered where God is andDo you think Jesus abandoned His Mother?

 He could have answered me in a number of ways: He’s in our heart. He’s also in nature. Nope. Rather, He’s showing his mother that it’s primarily faith, not blood relation, that matters. Two scriptural references suggest that possibility. (Luke 1:41-45; Luke 8:19-21)In fact, He shows up everywhere and in everything. But instead, He flipped the question back on me. “Where do you think He is, Ronnie?” There was a brief silence as I watched where his rock had fallen. Then in a quiet voice I said, “God is gone, He’s just gone, Uncle Buddy and that’s all there is to say”. As we made our way back to the car he would not let our “God is gone” conversation let go so hastily. He told me he had it on good authority from your mom and the word, that God was living in our hearts. He patted me on my head humbly, saying only, “Do you want your usual Barq’s cream soda?”

Unfortunately, all Christians have feelings of spiritual emptiness or even depression (a diagnosable medical condition (clinical depression, but it can also refer to a temporary feeling of sadness or apathy or to an imprecise, lingering discomfort.) from time to time. Fortunately, God knew it would happen and has given us a lot of helpful advice in His Word. “Where are You?”

A Christian may feel spiritually empty sometimes, but he need never be truly so. No born-again Christian is ever without the Holy Spirit. All who are born again have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit the moment they believed in Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-10). The Holy Spirit has sealed each believer “for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

So the key to overcoming spiritual emptiness is to “fill up” with the Holy Spirit. Maybe that sounds obvious enough, but how exactly does one do that? Here is my suggestion or these steps:

1) Sincerely desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit by a song of Prayer (Matthew 5:6 and John 7:37-39)
2) Confess your sins and thank God that He has forgiven all of your sins whether past, present, or future (Colossians 2:13-15; 1 John 1:1-2:3). 

3) Present every area of your life to God for His gracious control (Romans 12:1-2).
4) By faith claim the fullness of the Holy Spirit according to His commandment in Ephesians 5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14-15.

In doing those four steps, you are essentially doing spiritual breathing—exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure. In faith you are praying for what God already knows you need—the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 

Often in allowing the Spirit to fill oneself, there will be an immediate desire to dine on God’s daily bread—the Bible. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
It is also helpful to know where to turn for encouragement. Overcoming feelings of spiritual emptiness is often not a mental or academic exercise; rather, we need the personal touch of another born-again believer. Here is where the church comes in, with brothers and sisters everywhere, Bible study and support groups meeting locally, and, of course, worship services and the preaching of God’s Word. What a shame to dwell on spiritual emptiness, when brothers and sisters would love to help.

When God asks us a question, we really need to sit up and pay attention. When He tells us, "Come now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18), the Lord is inviting us to ponder along with the Almighty! What a privilege.

Where Are You?

God Bless You and This Ministry!