The Omni-God

God is good. I am so very grateful that such a simple and yet also profound statement is true, and that it never changes. In the past year or so, there have been many times things haven’t gone as I would like them to. I must admit, I often tend to complain in those times. But God has been ever so consistently (and patiently) pointing me back to the fact that He is good, no matter what.

God is also the same, wherever I am and whatever I am doing. Because He is so much BIGGER than anything in my microscopic blip of a life on the radar of eternity. And yet, at the same time, He cares. He sees our hearts, and He feels our times of joy and our times of pain. Wonder of wonders, He offers us a relationship with Him, and makes His power available to us. We can worship Him in every choice and action, anywhere in the world.

I thought about that last bit this past weekend. The Institute here in Uganda had the 14th and 17th off classes, so several people went on mini vacations for the four-day break. I joined a young couple in traveling to an island out in Lake Victoria, which was a huge blessing! As I sat on the shore of the lake or under a tree higher up on the island, I was able to once again come back to “base camp,” so to speak – to reorient myself again to what matters most.

God blessed me with a beautiful time of meditating on His Word and being able to worship Him, away from some of the routine of daily life that can so often distract me from focusing as fully on Him. And as I did, I was reminded of similar blessed times in Arkansas, N. Ireland, North Carolina, and even Dallas (it’s harder in the big city though…). It struck me more fully that no matter where I am, God is the same and He is just as present with and in me. That is simply amazing for my human mind to comprehend!

Because God is a good God, He is committed to bringing glory to Himself. In the past weeks, I have been reminded that one way He does this is by working in the lives of His children to conform them to His image (Romans 8:29). Because He is all-powerful, He can do just that. What’s more, He works in every situation so that—on an eternal scale—all things work together for the good of each one who loves God (Romans 8:28). Even in situations which do not seem ideal, He brings redemption and benefit.

I am so thankful for these truths, even though I so often lose focus and need to be reminded of them once again. God continues to point me back to Himself; and even if that is the only thing which I gain from what I am experiencing, it is worth it because He receives the glory and praise He deserves.