God's Presence

Have you seen this quote floating around Facebook and the internet?

"Dear God: Why is there so much violence in schools? 
-A Concerned Student Dear Concerned Student: I'm not allowed in school. -God-"

I can't count the number of times I've seen it and every single time I've been offended but not said anything, just let it go.

I believe that God is --
--omniscient (all knowing)
--omnipotent (all powerful)
--omnipresent (everywhere present) 

If God is everywhere present how can we as mere humans keep God out of school?  It seems that everywhere present means just that ... God is present everywhere including in our schools.

The correct answer to the question of why there is so much violence in our schools is because evil exists in this world and it's the same reason there is tragedy anywhere, anytime in the world.  Remember back in Genesis when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden?  Sin entered the world at that moment and the free will God had given us from the beginning became open to choosing sin.  

Generational sin began at that moment and we need to stop it.  How do we do that?  PRAY.  As parents we need to ask forgiveness for the sins of our fathers and the fathers before them.  We then need to turn from our sin and show our children the path of righteousness.


We also need to PRAY for healing for our nation.  2 Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  How many of us think that our land DOESN'T need some drastic healing right now?  Our planet is so far away from God that it's no wonder our kids are lost and have no hope.  What is God's promise?  If we fall on our faces, prostrate before God humbly turning away from our sin then he will hear us and forgive our sin and heal our land.  I think we all want that. 

So here's a challenge.  Starting at home, in front of your spouse and children, brothers and sisters and parents, get down in a humble position before God and pray, pray, pray for our kids, teens and young adults after you have turned from your own sin.  They are the ones who are having the hardest time navigating this fallen world.  Then pray for the lost, those who don't know Jesus.  That could be someone in your own home.  Then pray for our leaders.  I think we can all agree that our president and all our government officials need prayer and need God.  There are plenty of people to pray for and plenty of people to pray for them that if we do what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says I think God would keep his promise.

And stop passing the above quote around.  It's offensive to the students and teachers who do pray for God's presence in school to assume that God would listen to those who don't want him there.  I think He's listening to His children.  He is present in our schools.  He allows freedom of will which can perpetrate evil.  But it can also perpetrate good.