Where is God?

Sunday I was able to attend church again. Its been a while, as most Sundays, I have to work. Its amazing how I can be gone for so long, and on the one Sunday I attend, God uses it to work on me.

I was shocked, because it was before the sermon, and was merely something most would consider small, and minuscule, yet it hit home with me. While I cannot tell you what it was at this time, you will surely know before long; God is making changes in my life again.

Something I got out of Sunday's sermon, however, I also found to be relevant, and wanted to share. The sermon was taken from 2 Kings, chapter 5. A man named Neeman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (a Syrian king), had contracted leprosy. God had placed a young Jewish girl as a servant in Neeman's home.

As Neemans condition grew worse, the young girl is overheard saying: "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

Neeman goes to the king, and shares this information with him, and asks for permission to go, to which the king agrees. Actually, he not just agrees, he gives Neeman gifts of clothing, gold and silver. This really tells you how important Neeman is. The king also sends a letter, that Neeman may give to the Israeli king.

Anyway, Neeman goes to meet the Israeli king, who cannot heal Neeman, and thinks that this whole thing is just a way to Syria to go to war with Israel.

Elisha, God's prophet, the man who Neeman was supposed to see, heard what was happening, and tells the king to send Neeman to him. (Our pastor put in a quite witty comment here about how all too often we depend on the government to fix things, when we should have gone to the church first... I agree)

Neeman goes to Elisha's home, knocks on the door, and Elisha tells his messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

Neeman is pissed. I would liken it to calling tech support, getting passed around, and when you finally get someone who can fix your problem, he tells you, just reboot windows, it will fix everything. I digress. Neeman expected a big show, a big to do, not to bath in a river.

So Neeman has a servant who convinces him to do as commanded. He does, and of course, it works. Neeman returns to Elisha's home, and wants to give him all these gifts. Elisha refuses, admitting that it is God who heald him, not Elisha, as such, Elisha cannot take credit.

Here is the interesting part. Neeman asks if he can take two mule loads of dirt home with him. Why dirt? Why would he want to take dirt home? Sounds kinda of strange huh?

Neeman worshipped many gods, but it was the God of Israel that saved his life. Neeman recognized the true God, and he wanted to take Him home with him. Neeman most likely thought that the God of Israel, lived in Israel, and by taking home the dirt of Israel, he would also take God with him.

This is where I leave the sermon, and take up another path. All too often, we mark certain places with God's dirt. We put the dirt in church, so when we go, we can be with God. We put it at the dinner table, so that when we pray, we are with God. We put God where we want to meet with Him, and we lose sight of where God put Himself, so that He can meet with us.

We have all felt seperated from God, even after salvation; and I think its because we have moved the dirt around, and forgotten where God truly is. God lives within us, and too often, we try to seek Him out in locations, or buildings, and we dont find Him. We look for the big showy god, the Monty python god, where clouds open up, and gods head pops out of heaven. Our God speaks to us, when we are ready to listen.

Sunday, I was ready to listen.