Or where can I flee from Your presence?"
Psalm 139:7
A man said to his Christian friend, "I sought God at one time in my life, but I didn't find Him. You're a Christian. Can you tell me where to find God?" The man replied, "You can find God anywhere, because He is everywhere. He is only a prayer away." After they talked, they prayed together. The man seeking God didn't feel any different, but He believed God heard his prayer. The Christian said to him, "The reason you were seeking God is because He was seeking you. The Spirit of God was working in your heart." He went on to explain, left to ourselves, people do not seek God. That's what the Bible teaches. "There is none who seeks after God" (Romans 3:10).
The psalmist understood that God is omnipresent. There is nowhere that we may go where God is not present. The problem is that our sin has separated us from knowing the presence of the Lord. The Spirit of God awakens us to our need of God's presence. He initiates our relationship with God through convincing us of the sin of unbelief (John 16:7-11). Our response is to call upon Him (Romans 10:13). We talk with Him. His response is to our hearts. In the Bible, the heart most often refers to the inner-man, which is the mind, will and emotions. He gives understanding to the mind, godly desires to the will and new emotions to the heart. So you could say, that we can find God in our hearts, no matter where we are.
An old hymn of the church is entitled He Lives. It includes these words: "You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart." Our relationship with God is personal and intimate. It's a matter of the heart. We may read the Bible, sing the hymns and choruses, and listen to the sermons, but it's never personal nor intimate until it happens in our hearts. God is everywhere, but you will never find Him until you find Him in your heart.
Prayer: Lord, we ask You to change our hearts that we may know You in a personal, intimate relationship, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
