"Lo, I am with you always..." - Matthew 28:20

     I climbed the little hill behind my house to pray. After a time of sweet communion with the Lord I officially “signed off,” and then proceeded to return to my home. As I got up to leave to finish some chores, the Still Small Voice spoke to my heart a response that left me quite startled. The Lord said in essence, “You are leaving Me behind? I thought we were going to do the dishes together.”
     It was a lesson I would never forget. The Lord has created humans for fellowship with Him and the wonderful relationship that God shared with Adam and Eve is the relationship that God desires to have with all of us. Through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection that fellowship is restored with the God who will never leave us behind.
     He desires fellowship with His children as any loving family member would. He wants us to be aware of His presence in our daily routines; He wants to be included in the little everyday events. He is never distanced from us, even though we distance ourselves from Him at times. In Him we live and move and have our being - Acts 17:28. He fills all things (Jeremiah 23:24) including your kitchen and living room. He enjoys watching us play and work. He is always there to offer help and support if we ask Him.
     It is comforting to know that we are never alone, we have a constant companion, and it is His delight when we can acknowledge this truth and begin to appropriate this wonderful relationship with Him continuously. We begin to understand when the apostle Paul said “pray without ceasing,” - I Thessalonians 5:17. Communion with God is never to be restricted by specific times or events. He is there to greet you when you wake up in the morning and He is watching over you as a protective parent as you lay down at night to sleep.
     So I will always remember that afternoon when the Lord and I went back to the house and finished those chores together.

Copyright 2012 by H. D. Shively