Nowhere is Out of God's Reach
He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake.
Stop saying this about the giftgiver "Santa Claus" (Overseer Nicholas of Myra) and start saying this about the God of Saint Nicholas. We are truly disrespectful to God. To sin is to disrespect God by saying our ways are better than His. When we go to church we put on a front of our best behavior. Don't curse at church, don't fight at church, don't fornicate at church et cetera. These are all godly instructions, but if we think that the instructions of God are only to be followed within 1000 square feet of the altar, then we have made our altars of sacrifice into altars of sinning. Think beyond your building's four walls.
Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, in his The Old Testament Introduction: Prophetic Traditions, says we act as if we believe
that the earth is man's and that he assigns some parts of it to meet with the divinity so as to satisfy his needs for a religious sauce over the daily routine of life.
If that is true, then we are indubitably idolaters. There are three verses that Fr. Tarazi wants us to meditate on, and they are all from the Old Testament. Deal with it. The apostles taught with the Old Testament, and we are not better than them.
The earth is I AM's, and the fullness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein (Psalm 24:1).
And Moses said unto him, as soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto I AM; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be anymore hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is I AM's (Exodus 9:29).
Behold, unto I AM thy God belongeth heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein (Deuteronomy 10:14).
These verses are sufficient to support my claim, but I will enlist more aid to leave not a modicum of doubt in your mind. There is an American hymn that sounds babyish to the 21st century ear, but contains heavenly wisdom and simplicity.
He's got the whole world in His hands, he's got the whole world in His hands, He's got you and me sister in His hands, He's got you and me brother in His hands...
If God has everything and everywhere in His hands, then nothing and nowhere is out of His reach. No matter where we are, nor whom we are with, we must remember to give thanks to God, acknowledge that we are sinners and bow down in worship to beg for His steadfast mercy to clothe us without ceasing.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.
Furthermore, we must love each other.