The Promise of His Presence

Psalm 139:7-12 says, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,' Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike {to You.}" (NASB) This passage is a great reminder that neither depth, dimension, or distance can separate us from the presence of God! How wonderful and reassuring! Because of this great truth, we can know without a doubt that he is with us in the tears of life, the tests of life and even the troubles of life.

He is with us in the tears of life because the Bible says, "The Lord is near the broken hearted." (Psalm 34:18 NIV) Whether it is the loss of someone we love and cherish or even in other significant life changes that cause us to grieve, we know that He is with us to comfort us and strengthen us.

He is also with us in the tests of life. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have {its} perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (NASB) To me this passage implies that God is at work, and therefore present with us in the tests of life. Philippians 2:13 says, "It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (NASB) Yes, God can and does use the tests of life to grow us and mature our faith and trust him! What a comfort to know he is with us and at work in us in the tests of life.

Lastly, He is with us in the troubles of life. The Psalmist wrote, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (NASB) The Lord speaks this promise in Isaiah 43:2-3, "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God . . ." (NLT)

How reassuring it is to know that no matter what we may experience in life, we have the promise of His presence.