As Jacob was leaving Canaan, he had an enigmatic dream of angels ascending and descending on a ladder reaching to heaven. The Lord delivered this amazing promise to him:

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15)

When Jacob reflected upon God’s promise to him, he realized he had a divine encounter with God:

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Gen 28:16)

How often do we go through life and fail to recognize God’s presence and promises to us? God is at work even when we don’t realize His presence. God is omnipresent, which means that He is present everywhere. God is not in everything (pantheism) but is above everything. David realized God’s omnipresence as he declared,

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. (Psalm 139:7-8)

Do we realize that God is omnipresent? We must live with the realization that we are always in His presence. Far too many of us go through life without a recognition of God’s sustaining grace. There are a number of reasons for our spiritual blindness.

A common reason is that we’re too busy. It wasn’t until Moses was on the backside of the desert, away from all distractions, that he was able to realize God’s presence. When is the last time you’ve had an extended period of time away from all distractions? God speaks to us through the still, small voice of His Spirit. When we’re enmeshed in the noise of everyday life it may be difficult to hear from God. Socrates admonished us, “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”

Another reason is that we may become so preoccupied with our fears and insecurities that we develop tunnel vision and fail to see God at work. We may develop a tendency to focus more on our problems than on the God who can solve our problems. Where is your focus? The Apostle Paul directs us to focus our attention heavenward:

Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)

Finally, we can become complacent as we drift through life. We become inured to a life of routine and lose our sense of adventure. God calls us to step out in faith. Could it be that we don’t see God at work because we’re not stepping out in faith? William Carey challenged his audience “Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.” What great work are you expecting from God and attempting for God?

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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