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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 9, 2010
“Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus, Deus Aderit”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.
Jacob went out from Beersheba toward Haran, came to a certain place, and settled down for the night. He used a stone for a pillow, and went to sleep.
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.
In his sleep, Jacob saw a ladder reaching all the way to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending upon it. Above it stood the Lord, who spoke many wonderful promises to Jacob.
Then Jacob woke up, and what did he say? According to Genesis 28:16 he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
Then he set up the stone as a marker, called the place Bethel, and went on his way.
So did Jacob leave the Lord behind at Bethel?
Let’s rewind to one of the promises God spoke to Jacob. In verse 15 He said, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go…”
I wonder if that really soaked into Jacob, because afterward he declared, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
I wonder if Jacob took 10 paces toward Haran, turned around and said, “God is there, back there at that stone.”
So was God back at the stone?
Yes.
Was God with Jacob as he walked?
Yes.
What was the difference?
Jacob’s awareness.
The Lord was present before Jacob went to sleep, then afterward he declared, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
I think that is true for most of us most of the time. Wherever we are, the Lord is there; we just aren’t aware of it.
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.
For many years I set aside 30 minutes for prayer in the morning. I stood on the promise of James 4:8, that if I drew near to God, He would draw near to me.
My experience went like this. I found that it took about 10 minutes for me to have a sense that God was in the place.
So what was going on? Did it take 10 minutes for God to arrive?
No. God was there to begin with. He was there before I got there, because He is everywhere. And He came with me, because His Holy Spirit dwells inside of me.
So what was the 10 minutes all about? I’m not sure, but here is what I think. I think it took about that long for me to become aware of His presence. I don’t know why, and I realize it’s all getting a bit strange at this point, but I’m simply sharing with you my experience.
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.
The Apostle Paul delivered a speech to the intellectuals in Athens, as recorded in Acts 17. He said, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” He said that people should “seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him…”
And then He delivered this powerful line: “…He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being…”
Jeremiah 23 says, “‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the Lord. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord.”
God fills heaven and earth. In Him we live and move and have our being. We may not be aware of His presence, but He is present, anywhere we go.
David wrote in Psalm 139, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me…”
God is here.
We may not be aware of it. He may seem far away. There may be an opaque membrane that clouds our awareness somehow, but the Lord is present.
So our job is to remove the membrane, to become aware of His presence.
How?
By seeking Him.
First Chronicles 28:9 uses this phrase, “…if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee…”
Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Deuteronomy 4:29 indicates that if we seek the Lord, we shall find Him, if we seek Him with all of our heart and soul.
Not that He is lost, or out there far away somewhere. He fills heaven and earth. In Him we live and move and have our being.
Wherever you are, God is there.
Bidden or unbidden, God is present.
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
“Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit” is simply the Latin for “Bidden or unbidden, God is present.”
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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