When one focuses in on the specific situation the Israelites were in – in the desert, no water, feeling a bit abandoned – one can see why they wondered if God was among them.  In certain situations we too can wonder if God is with us.  At times we can all become so overwhelmed with the moment and lose sight of the big picture.  And it is in that moment of panic that we wonder where God is or why He would ‘allow’ us to go through that situation.

As we turn to the Bible we find answers to the questioning of God’s presence.  Long ago God established a covenant with His people.  The covenant still exists for us today.  The covenant was a two-sided arrangement – if the people would dedicate themselves to God, then He would dwell among them.  The covenant remains there for us today as well.  In the New Testament, Jesus put forth two answers when questioned about which law was the most important.  The first was a repetition of Deuteronomy 6:5 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  The second came from Leviticus – love your neighbor as yourself.  The first really speaks of what it means to dedicate yourself to God.  The second speaks to what it means to live it out.

God always seeks to draw near to us.  We make many choices each day – some draw us into God’s presence and some push His presence away from us.  When we choose to draw near, He is there.  When we choose to read our Bible, to spend time in prayer, to worship Him, to reach out to the needy, … then we are living in His presence.  But when we choose to listen to the whispers of the world and choose to focus on things other than God, then we do not sense His presence.  Yet God is always near, always present with us.  If we are only looking within, we do not see Him.  We must live with eyes, ears, heart, mind, hands and feet seeking to be in tune with God and our world.  It is then that God is among us!