“Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”
— Luke [20:38]
GOD OF THE LIVING
Daniel Ornellas, a worship leader for a church in South Africa, tells a story of the youngest of his three daughters, Frankie. On any road trip where Frankie was having a hard time, Daniel’s wife would play on her phone, “Spirit of the Living God.” For the most part it would soothe Frankie. Over time it became a family worship song and lullaby. It drew the family closer.
The second stanza of “Spirit of the Living God” frames the meaning.
When you come in the room
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
The spirit of the living God changes us. It makes us look into different places and through different lenses. We become able to see what we should see. For Frankie, it is a soothing of the soul. For others, a new direction.
“Jesus implores us to seek God out in our lives, whether we’re a family on a trip or a person looking for meaning in day-to-day life.”
This profound message from Jesus in today’s verse, extends God’s presence beyond just salvation. Jesus implores us to seek God out in our lives, whether we’re a family on a trip or a person looking for meaning in day-to-day life. It creates a different point of view. A point of view that is less worldly and more spiritual. It helps us to see that the latest fashion trend pales in comparison to the living God. It reframes our lives.
When we let the spirit of the living God in, it begins to slowly seep into our vision. We begin to see things differently. It acts like a powerful vapor that over time creates differences. We begin to be kinder to strangers. We begin to hold doors, even when we don’t have to. We begin to not get frustrated while standing in line.
“When we begin to see events of lives connected to God, the random events of our lives become connected.”
When we begin to see events of lives connected to God. The random events of our lives become connected. We begin to connect the events of our lives to God and become thankful for God’s presence. We become more aware of the answers to our prayers.
We begin to know Emmanuel, “God is with us.”
Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman
PARTING THOUGHTS
What song brings God to your surface?
How does the spirit of the song open your soul?
How does the song soothe you?
