Be Present!

Phillip.2:⁸ “He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion!” (TPT).

To get up and to walk in resurrection power, to be all that we were made to be, to arise and to shine in the brightness that God has made for us, firstly we must know the Living Jesus, that Jesus Christ is alive. Secondly, we must know the King Jesus, that Jesus Christ is King. Thirdly, we must know the Present Jesus, that Jesus Christ is present. Jesus is not a King that is withdrawn. He says, I know your infirmities and I am close to your feelings. Jesus is not the King that is distant, He is the King that is present. One of the things that a lot of people discovered during the corona virus pandemic that rocked the world in year 2020 with the stay home was that quarantining can force people to be at home physically. But quarantine cannot force people to be present.

People were at home physically, but many people were absent. It is possible to be at home and still be absent from your children. You can be at home and be distant from your spouse. You are not present, and you are not intimate, you are still estranged. You can be at home, but you are on social media twenty-four seven. You are home but you are not present. God wants you to be present; be present with your spouse, be present with your children, be present in your home. Why would God be interested in us being present? It is because when you are present, you feel. When you are present, you are in tune with what is going on.

There is a story that always blesses me and that is in the story of when Lazarus died in John 11. The Word of God says in Jn.11:³⁵ “Jesus wept.”  This is the same Jesus that said to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He that is dead will come back to life. Do you believe this Martha? If you believe, you will see the glory of God.’ When Mary showed up on the scene, Jesus said the same thing to her. Your brother is going to live again. But, when Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He wept. The Bible did not say He cried, or He shed some tears, or He sobbed. The Bible records that Jesus wept. Why did Jesus weep? Some people say it was because of the unbelief of the people. However, Jesus does not deal with unbelief with tears. Jesus rebukes unbelief or at best encourages people out of it. So, it cannot be unbelief.

Why did Jesus weep? When Jesus got to the tomb, and He was present in the reality of the situation that Martha and Mary were faced with in the death of their brother. Jesus felt what they were feeling, because when you are present, you feel. Jesus felt the pain of His friends even though He knew that Lazarus was going to get up. He is God, He knows the end from the beginning. But the beauty of our faith in Christ is that Jesus became like us, He knows how we feel. He is the God that is present. Jesus is present. For you to experience the resurrection power, the one that raised Lazarus from the dead and that eventually raised Jesus from the dead, you need to learn how to be present with God and present in your life.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me, teach me, and guide me, in Jesus Name. Amen!