The American-based company I work for is being acquired by a foreign business, and as with any buy-out there is a lot of planning and a lot of work. We have to tie the two company networks together, integrate software so intelligence can be shared, closing some of the many offices around the world and disconnecting those locations from the corporate communications and networks and more. There is also the approval of governments that must be obtained. And while I’m not involved in all these meetings, I can state with certainty that God is never mentioned or considered in any meaningful way.

I’m willing to bet your daily life is little different. Whether it’s work, school, shopping, working out or most any other activity, God is never mentioned nor ever considered. I’m not bringing this up to make you feel guilty but to pose a question: Is God still present in these activities? Jonah fled Israel in an attempt to flee from the presence of God, and we all know how well that worked out for him (Jonah 1.3). Neither is God’s presence something we can avoid through apathy. The Scripture says:

“Do you people think that I am some local deity and not the transcendent God?” the Lord asks. “Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. “Do you not know that I am everywhere?” the Lord asks. -- Jeremiah 23.23-24

I’ve spoken to more than a few atheists over the years, and one question they all ask is, “why doesn’t God come down and reveal himself right now?” I usually respond with, “He already has. He is here now. In fact, you have been living in the graces of God your entire life. If God did not exist, evil would have taken over the world long ago.” But last week something happened that brought this question down to much more personal level.

I was having an after dinner conversation with a man who suffers from a debilitating disease. Like the atheists I’ve encountered before, he stated that if God exists he wants to see him, and ask him why he has to suffer so greatly. “God is here,” I told him and raised my hand to my heart. “He sent me to answer your questions. I cannot guarantee you will like the answers, but there are answers.” I considered the discussion a “divine appointment” (a term coined by a pastor friend of mine, meaning an encounter we hadn’t planned but that God put on our calendar for us).

God promised Israel, “My presence will go with you” (Exodus 33.14) and Jesus iterated the promise to all who follow him saying, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” God is with us; God indwells us. That means where we go, God goes too. So even though we may not always bring God up in “secular” settings, he is present and is with us. Furthermore, if the occasion arises to bring God into the situation we shouldn’t shy away from it. Since God’s Spirit lives inside us, we have the answers of heaven at our disposal (Luke 12.12).

In the series we recently finished on spiritual disciplines, it would be easy to think that connecting with God is all about obeying God’s commands – and that is a part of it to be sure, but it’s not all of it. We can draw upon the spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon us, and we can draw on the strength and wisdom he provides to us by stepping out in faith and trusting that he will guide conversations, events and activities. That includes after-dinner chats, breakroom banter and, yes, even corporate take-overs. We connect with God and find all kinds of reasons to praise him when we live understanding his omnipresence.