God in the here and now

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” Jeremiah 29.5

At this point in his life, Jeremiah was fighting a lonely battle. His nation was in trouble and under oppression. The leaders and the people were longing for God to step in and do something miraculous, and they wanted to listen to anyone who would tell them that this was God’s plan. What Jeremiah sensed God was saying was quite different: yes, deliverance would come, but not yet. So his advice was that the people settle down and find God where they were.

Often, we find ourselves in times of waiting and looking for God’s dramatic touch upon our lives. There is nothing wrong with this, but our calling is that no matter what we are waiting for, we need to look for him in the here and now as well. If we always focus on what God is going to do in the future, we run the risk of missing him now.

When people ask me for prayer, the approach I usually take is to ask them where Jesus is for them right now – not where would they like him to be, but where do they sense his presence is right now? Take a moment to find a place of quiet, and in the stillness ask yourself the same question, “Where is Jesus for me right now?” What comes to mind? Engage with him and find his presence.

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