Scripture
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9

Observation
Why does God choose to be invisible? For 33 years we could see him, hear him, touch him. Now he relates to us by Spirit. There are times that can be frustrating. There are times we might like to pray, “God you are invisible but I am not!”

But like all things the Lord does there are reasons. For the moment he wants to build a relationship with us based on presence. Presence is far more than just being in the room, but it is the sense that someone is in the room. For those who are married, there is a clear sense when the loved one is nearby. Without a sound we know that another is with us because we sense their nearness.

The goal of our relationship with the Lord is to come to know his presence well and to fall in love with it. When that is secure, then we will be allowed to see his face. Peter wrote about what we should all be aiming for in our relationship with Jesus. Our aim is to love him without seeing him, to trust him without seeing him and to be happy just to sense him near.

My son has a black dog named Memphis. Part Boarder Collie and part German shepherd, his panting presence is familiar on the construction site where Jon works. Memphis is a work dog and all day long he spends with his master. His love of Jon is so great that he will pick through the clothes hamper and pull out old socks and shirts that are infused with his master’s scent and sleep on them.

There should be something of that loyalty of presence in all of us. Just having a sense of his presence is all that we need. That is what deepens our love for Christ beyond words. When we become comfortable with the invisible God and we come to enjoy his presence alone there is something that moves deeply in the heart of Jesus. To those who live for his presence there is a reward. He steps into save us. He is a faithful God and he enjoys the company of faithful ones.

Application
There is a choice that I make that can move reality from “God exists” to “God is present” just by becoming cognizant of the presence of Jesus. I choose that today.

Prayer
Father, I want to live in your presence not because you become somehow more present but because I choose to acknowledge that you are. I know you are present. You are with me now. I am not alone. Amen.

Scripture
The LORD favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness. Psalm 147:11

Observation
We can knock on doors and make things happen, but what is far more interesting is what God brings to us. There are times we should strain and sweat. There are other times just to sit.

This sitting is not passive laziness. It is a swelling faith in the goodness of God that he is on his way and that he is bringing something good. I like to think of it like waiting at the airport for someone to arrive. The waiting is full of expectancy. There is nothing the pacing person can do to speed up the plane’s coming. But being there is a statement of confidence that the Arrivals screen is accurate and that the plane will land and passengers will disembark.

Our Father’s heart swells with love when he looks from heaven and sees his people, not just sitting around, but waiting for him. Their hearts look upward for him. There is expectancy. His heart brims with desire to bless them. This overflowing love is his “lovingkindness”.

If a reporter were to ask me at Arrivals what makes me wait, in many ways I would not know exactly why. I don’t know what the loved one will say or bring. When it comes to love, specifics are difficult to define. But I know the Father’s heart toward me. It is full of love. It is brimming with kindness. I know that something good is going to happen. When our Father has us wait, sometimes longer than the scheduled arrival, we’re not exactly sure what he will do, but we trust his heart enough to know that it will be good. He will be full of love. He will be kind. We will receive more than we deserve or expect. Details will have to wait. For now it is enough to know that we are loved.

Application
Am I just sitting or am I waiting? Too often I let the mundane take over my waiting times. Life becomes about bill paying, errands, appointments, deadlines. I lose the sense of heightened expectancy in God’s coming goodness. That is just sitting. Waiting, on the other hand, takes a special effort. It is not worry that imagines it can speed things up by pacing feet or wringing hands. The effort of waiting is anticipation of better things God is going to bring. It is that attitude in me that draws lovingkindness from his heart. That is what I need to cultivate in my faith today.

Prayer
Father, when I’m still find me expecting you. I’ve seen your ways over the past 30 years and have found not just wonderful answers to prayer but so many evidences that you have put an eternity’s thought into each outcome. Your ways are intricate as well as powerful. I choose today to get my hopes up in your goodness. Don’t just see me sitting, see me waiting for your coming goodness. Amen.