We miss the presence of God so often because our minds and hearts are not in the present. People are weighed down with worries, desires, anxieties, and a thousand different details. Paul warns his followers to be awake - to live in the present moment - for he expected the Lord to reappear momentarily in a dramatic fashion. Although our expectations have changed a bit, we still must be vigilant for the presence of God in the people we meet, the situations we encounter, and our day to day struggles. That is where God is to be found; God calls on us to respond with our highest spiritual ideals.

The words of Jesus had an amazing effect on all, whether ordinary people or demons. Why were His words so powerful, aside from the fact that He was God's Son? He spoke with perfect integrity. His motives were pure, and unsullied by self-seeking, greed or fear. There was no deviousness, dishonesty or guile within Him. The ancient Hebrews believed that words were a powerful force for either good or evil. What if we chose our words carefully and spoke with sincerity of intent? What if we made our words reflect our highest spiritual ideals? We might be amazed at the power and authority of our words and the positive effects on those around us. Let us give it a try!