By Donna McMorrow

It had been a busy Saturday cleaning day. I had spent the morning vacuuming, picking up toys, cleaning bathrooms, and folding laundry. Feeling as though I had made a dent in the mess, I went into the kitchen to relax with a cup of coffee. I spotted Anthony, who had also been very busy. Anthony had dumped all of the toys out of the basket in the family room onto the floor. 

Immediately, I went into scolding mode. “Anthony, did you have to take out all of the toys?  Couldn’t you just have taken out what you were actually going to play with?” Anthony looked at me and sweetly responded, “I didn’t do that. Patty did!”  “No she didn’t! That was you, Mister.” Heaving a huge sigh, Anthony answered, “Mom, do you know everything?” 

 Have you ever asked God that question?  

 God, do you know everything? 

 Are you really listening to me? 

 Do you know what I did? 

 Do you know what I want? What I need? 

Sometimes we are very aware of God’s presence in our lives. At other times, we are sure of  His absence. After all, we can’t see Him or touch Him. We’ve got this idea that we can “visit” with God at church. During worship, we talk about “entering into God’s presence,” as if we had ever left it. 

Jonah seemed to think that he could escape from God by jumping on a ship, but he learned that God was with him on the ship. God was with him when he was tossed overboard. God was even with him in the belly of a whale. 

God may be above us, apart from us and seem very different from us. But God is absolutely near. He is with us and in us. In Christ, He has become like us so that we can become like Him. Paul assures us that God is not far, “for in Him we live and move and have our being”  (Acts 17:28). God is present everywhere and at the same time.  

“You have searched me, Lord, 
and you know me. 
You know when I sit and when I rise; 
you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
You discern my going out and my lying down; 
you are familiar with all my ways. 
Before a word is on my tongue 
you, Lord, know it completely. 
You hem me in behind and before, 
and you lay your hand upon me. 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
too lofty for me to attain. 
Where can I go from your Spirit? 
Where can I flee from your presence? 
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
if I settle on the far side of the sea, 
even there your hand will guide me, 
your right hand will hold me fast.” – Psalm 139:5-10

God knew Jonah in the belly of the whale, and He knows you and me.

Donna McMorrow and her husband have been married for 41 years. She is a retired special education teacher, adoptive parent, cancer survivor and child of the King. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography and painting.