A pastor asks a young boy, “Where is God?” The little boy sits still and does not answer. The pastor asks again and still no answer. A third time, the pastor gets angry and shouts, “Where is God?” The young boy jumps out of his chair, runs upstairs and finds his brother, shuts the door and says, “We’re in big trouble! God is missing, and the pastor thinks we did it!”
We have trouble seeing God. Like the young boy, we might not know how to answer the question, “Where is God?” The Israelites believed that God, although present everywhere, dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem. If you wanted to be close to God, that’s where you’d go, even if only for a moment, because “a day in [God’s] courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” (verse 10)
We believe that God is present, not just in special places of worship, but everywhere. Sometimes we might only see it in hindsight, yet God is at work in our hearts and in our communities, whether we feel God’s presence or not. May we all find strength in this God, who is our sun and shield.
O Lord, God of hosts, thank you for dwelling with us. Whether I see it or not, thank you for your presence and work in my life. Amen. — ANS