When God Shows Up

There seems to be a begging question throughout history, 

“When will God show up?” 

As time passes, and God seems nowhere to be found,

 a second question trumps the first,

“Will God show up?”

Chances are . . . you’re asking these same questions in your own life. You’re struggling between faith and doubt and doubt seems to be winning out. You have justifying faith—you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have sanctifying faith—you’re a new creation in Christ through your continual surrender and God is at work in your life. Ahhhh, but then there’s living faith . . . and that is the kind of faith that doesn’t require any faith at all . . . it is the blessed assurance that God has already shown up . . . that His Promises are prophecy in your life. It’s when faith transforms into sight and faith is no longer needed. It’s the inner conviction that God’s Promises are true, He is faithful, and He is with you always. (Matthew 28:20) Rarely do we walk in a living faith; we depend upon what we see far too much. And our sight keeps us stuck, right where we are, until we choose to step forward into the unknown . . . trusting God in the face of 

impossibilities.

We’re waiting for God to show up, yet He’s always there . . . waiting for our faith to acknowledge His presence. The problem is we fail to recognize Him, so we keep looking, keep waiting, keep watching, and keep doubting. We walk by sight.

Did God suddenly show up at the Red Sea?

Or was He already there waiting as He’d promised Moses?

Did God, in a moment’s notice, decide to help David defeat Goliath?

Or did He have a plan 

for David to become King?

Did Jesus surprisingly show up in a manger?

Or had God foretold of 

His coming through the prophets?

Was it simple injustice that crucified Jesus on a Cross?

Or was it God’s grace at work 

providing a way for man’s redemption?

One thing about God—He appears to be full of surprises. But, we might be shocked to realize that He’s actually quite predictable. If we are His sheep and He says that we hear His voice, then quite possibly, we’re not listening. (John 10:27; Matthew 11:15)

All those years ago, before Jesus was born into the world, His own people, the Jews, were told He’d be coming. God’s voice spoke through the Old Testament, telling of the Messiah’s coming. It was told that God would come to earth and be born as a male (Isaiah 9:6-7), He’d be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), He would come from the root of Judah (Isaiah 11:1-10), He’d be from the house of David (Isaiah 16:5), He’d be born in Bethlehem and be from Nazareth (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:1-2), His birth would trigger a massacre of boys (Hosea 11:1), His mission would include the Gentiles (Isaiah 42: 1-4,6; Isaiah 49:6), His ministry would include miraculous healings (Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 35:5-6), He would be despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3), He would be hated without cause, rejected by rulers, and rejected by his own brothers (Isaiah 49:7, Psalm 118:22, Psalm 69:8), He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13), and His disciples would scatter (Zechariah 13:17, Matthew 26:31). And let us not forget Jesus’ foretelling of His crucifixion, death, and resurrection (Matthew 20:17-19).

So, why are there still those who doubt? Why are there unbelievers? Is it because God has not fulfilled His Word? Or is it that people choose to ignore what is readily before them? What about in our own lives, has God spoken to us personally? Have we sought out His Word and will for our life? Are we standing on His Promises, believing them, and living our lives as if we do? If He’s assured us that He is with us always, why are we looking for Him to make His presence known? (John 10:25) Why do we doubt, and wait for God to show up . . . when the Truth is . . . He already has. 
Jesus is all you’ll ever need.