EVER PRESENT

 

Saturday, May 21, 2022

 

EVER PRESENT

 

Ps 139:7-10

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

 

          There are two aspects to God being everywhere at once. On the one hand we cannot escape from him and on the other hand he will never leave you alone. We are the difference. Our own current set of circumstances makes his presence either a precious thing or a problem for us.

 

          If there is sin in my heart and I want to run away from God’s piercing gaze, I learn quickly that I cannot. He is everywhere convicting me of my sin and wooing me back again. I cannot be comfortable sinning because He is there. He, in this case, is a bother and will not leave me alone. We are forced by his presence to repent.

 

          If I am disappointed with my God and want to leave him like a pouting child, I find that I cannot. Oh, yes, we often become disenchanted with a God who does only as He wishes. Our plans are cut off and our expectations are dashed because they are not HIS plans for us. We pout and whimper and try to run away but we can’t find a place where God is not. There is no place to hide. We are forced by His presence to reconcile.

 

          On the other hand, He is the friend that sticks close. We feel him in the gentle breeze upon our cheek. We hear Him in the robin’s song. He wraps his huge arms around us when we are afraid. He is always there. We are free by his presence to feel relieved.

 

          Both are blessings, the God I cannot escape keeps me clean and the God who will not leave me alone keeps me safe.

 

Dear Lord, thank you for being with me today. AMEN