Those Who Take Time To Be Holy See The Face Of The Living God

by Eric Elkin

“Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that God will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. ”

— Joshua 3:10

Most of the stories emerging out of Maui this week are sad and tragic. Some, though, are harrowing tales of miraculous survival. One family shared their experience of running from the flames. They hid behind a wall as cars blew up around them. Finding no escape from the raging fires, a stranger yelled to them. He told them to jump into the ocean. In the water, the family fought the undertow of the sea as it tried to pull them out into the deep water.

The family survived to share their story. Reading their account online, I wondered if, in that moment when hope seemed to fade, did they have a clear vision of the living God being among them? Or did they feel abandoned and alone?

Setting aside the news about Maui, I watched an episode from the CBS Sunday Morning show. In one story, reporters interviewed Carlos Galvez, an older man living in poverty in Phoenix, Arizona. As temperatures soared in excess of 110 degrees, Carlos told a reporter he could not go outside. The heat makes breathing difficult, and he quickly becomes dehydrated. So Carlos spends his days living inside a home without air conditioning, electricity, and running water. I also wondered if Carlos had a clear vision of the living God being with him?

These thoughts are coming to me as I sit on the deck of our house. It is cool for a summer morning. The grass and trees are a lush color of green. The whole yard is vibrant with life from a healthy mixture of sun and rain. Birds dance around the feeders without a care in the world. Life is good. It is hard not to feel the presence of the Lord in this place. But do I see it or give thanks for it?

“When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it. [God] has been a party to, has made, sustained and moved moment by moment within, all our earthly experiences of innocent love.”

— C.S. Lewis

Reading from the book of Joshua this morning, the words "You shall know that the living God is among you" jumped out at me. The Israelites in the story know the living God is among them because they carry God's presence in a box. A decorative box, but it is still small enough to carry. Perhaps, if we carried God around in a container, we would know peace and confidence in the face of tragedy.

We, as Christians, believe the living God is all around us. This understanding of God is too big and powerful to hold inside anything that confines. Thinking through the events of the past weeks, both the tragic stories I read and the ones I ignore, I wonder why this big God is so hard to see?

Not seeing God when our lives are threatened is easy to understand. Yet, our inability to see God does not necessarily improve when our situation is good. Most people tend to credit themselves for being in a place of security. God did not landscape my yard; I did that work. The Almighty was not trained to do my job; that was work done on my own. The Lord did not direct me to live in a good neighborhood; that was my decision.

Even though the living God is among us, we do need to train ourselves to see God. The training exercises are simple. Give thanks to God for the good things and people in our lives. Speak to God when life is falling apart, or our safety is threatened. As Mr. Rogers once said, "Look for helpers." This could be a voice of one calling you to safety or resources offered to those holding on. Be patient as God is patient with us. Those who practice, who take time to be holy, see the face of the living God in all things.

Click to read Joshua 3: 7 - 11, 13 - 17

Reflection Questions:

When have you desired to see God but could not?
When did you feel like you were in the presence of God? What was different from the time you could not see God?
How often do you take time to be holy? What does it look like?
What do you give thanks for this day?

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