Gods revelation in your travels

I was Traveling on a ferry one evening reading a book - I was struck by the way the author describes the account of Jacob as he is running through the desert and rests his head on a rock to go to sleep, signifying the fact that there is absolutely nothing that would resemble anything apart from dirt in his vicinity – no trace of civilisation. When he dreams that night, in deep slumber, head resting on a rock for a pillow - he dreams of God active and present even in the midst of nothingness in the middle of the desert. Jacob proclaims to the mountains and hills and wild beasts "Surely God is in this place and I was not even aware of it".

This totally challenged how i had thought about my role as an ambassador for Jesus previously. I used to think that when i was going into a place, I was bringing God with me (looking back that view is tainted with a sense of arrogance). Yet there he is BEFORE Jacob in the middle of nowhere, so of course He is going to be going before me amongst his prize of creation. And what more he is probably working in different ways to how I expect him to be working. We often carry much presumed knowledge that we are fed from our churches that we can forget the reality of God and his purpose for all of creation not just me. So how am I going to recognise him as he goes before me preparing a work for me to do?

Below is a list of things that have come together to help recognise the face of God outside the walls off our church, the guidance of our family, the culture of our university campus or school, or even the denomination that we might have allegiance to.

It works best if you focus on one of these this at a time. For example #1. If you remember that everytime you speak with someone that in essence you are speaking with a child of God, how is that going to mold your comments and responses? will you be easily angered or frustrated? might you take the time to be a bit more gracious with your time.

1 – in every interaction remember the person you are interacting with is made by God in His image. This includes the Wallah on the streets of Dhaka.

2 – Pray for opportunities throughout your day for God to reveal to you who he has intentionally placed in your path.

3 – When you are staying in a place for a period of time – ensure you provide table fellowship for those who you meet in a similar or less fortunate circumstance to yourself.

4 – take time to understand the spiritual nature of a community that you are staying in. Just because their format may not look like your home church's, it may still reveal how God is working within that community.

Remember everybody is on a journey to discover truth it is just that some have become content with their findings before they discover the very nature of God. A little prompting is all it might take for them to seek once again.