We embark on a journey to discover how God "customizes" His presence (via our perception of where He dwells) to meet the needs and frame of reference of different people across time. We start with a spoiler alert and read the final chapter first. In Revelation 21 we are promised “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” This side by side, face to face reality is begun in Eden, wherein the great fall/schism occurs, the repair of which will occupy the rest of the bible. After quite a rough and tumble start to things, YHVH makes numerous promises to be with His people, even though what that "withness" looks like will change over time.

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Today we revisit the story of Jesus walking on water, this time in Matthew 14. As a template for our experience, we acknowledge that storms happen, often in the natural course of things. At other times they are caused by human influence, whether our own or others’. Regardless of storm type or strength, at some point Jesus shows up to “divinely intervene” in the moment. Jesus’ intervention is manifest when we engage and interact with Him with faith in HIS POWER TO SAVE US. Jesus’ intervention often does not end the storm. Instead, He empowers us to keep walking in spite of it until the storm is over (and beyond).

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Today we look closely at Psalm 42, a beautiful psalm of lament that we often don’t get past the first verse on: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you.” As we track with the psalmist, we learn that the seasons of life shift at times. There will be chapters in our life in which it feels like God is far away, and we will thirst for His presence. (We should thus be deeply grateful for times of smooth abundance.) Being honest with God about our frustrations helps us sense His presence and reassures us He sees us. The things we tell ourselves are extremely important and can connect us to God’s truth (or do the opposite). When we are walking through a difficult chapter we must remember God’s faithfulness in the past. God has been faithful. He will be again. This is always true.

To investigate this most important of stories further, go here.