In this stage of COVID-19 I think we all have a sense of being wearied with it all. It’s so much bigger than we are. Where is God in this? Does He care? How do we find our way out of it? Is there a way out?<\/p>\n
King David wrote, \u201cWhere can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Thy hand will lead me and Thy right hand will hold me.\u201d Psalms 139: 7-10 (NAS)<\/p>\n
David is not trying to flee God\u2019s presence. I picture him sitting on the porch of his great palace in Jerusalem and looking up into the night sky. He begins to think about the vastness of the universe and muse about the God who created that universe. He asks a philosophical question: is it possible to get away from God\u2019s presence? Heaven? Nope, God is there. Hell? Nope, God was there. Can I go beyond the sunrise? Nope. God\u2019s there, too. How about going into the deepest part of the oceans? Nope. COVID-19? No. God is even in it. How? I do not know. But His purposes are being worked out.<\/p>\n
His presence is higher, deeper, wider than anything we can encounter. It is not just in physical places but emotional places as well. In our highs and lows. Our joys and sorrows. Also in our spiritual places. Times when feel God is absent or silent. Times when we feel on top of the world.<\/p>\n
But hell? That seems like a contradiction. You may ask, \u201cIsn\u2019t a definition of hell as the absence of God\u2019s presence?\u201d David clearly says that if we go into hell He is there. How many of us have had our own personal emotional hell? Abuse. Betrayal. Financial ruin. Loss of reputation. Or a physical hell. Of chronic pain. Illness. COVID-19. God is there with you. Graciously God sent His Son to hell so that we won\u2019t ever have to experience absence from God\u2019s presence. Jesus went there to set the captives free. He obtained the victory over everything \u2013 including your own personal hell. You are free.<\/p>\n
Perhaps you have tried to run away from God. You cannot flee. He follows after you to draw you to Himself. And He is persistent. He has been called \u201cthe hound of heaven.\u201d He is not limited by time or space. He knows where you live and seeks you out. Nothing you have done creates a distance too great for God to touch your life with His forgiveness and restoration. Nothing can separate you from His love \u2013 absolutely nothing. Yield to His gracious love and find the freedom for which you truly long. <\/p>\n
Take a moment, where would you go to get away from God? Have you tried? Now think of God\u2019s inescapable presence. Imagine Him there with you now. He is all that you need Him to be right this minute. Tell Him what you are thinking. You cannot shock Him. His love and presence are inescapable. Take joy in knowing that you are totally known and totally loved. You are secure.<\/p>\n
Heavenly Father,
\nThank you that there is nowhere I can go to get away from You. I need Your presence. I need to feel it right now. I need to know You are there like You promised. I want Your presence to bring comfort but I confess that at times it scares me. I don\u2019t feel good enough but accept by faith that You accept me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this stage of COVID-19 I think we all have a sense of being wearied with it all. It’s so much bigger than we are. Where is God in this? Does He care? How do we find our way out of it? Is there a way out? King David wrote, \u201cWhere can I go from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n