Feeling Safe in God’s Presence

Little kids are afraid of the dark. Once a mother asked her son to go and get a broom from the garage. The boy went to get it but it was in a dark part of the garage and the light wasn't working. He went back to his mom and told her the garage was dark and he was afraid. He asked her to go with him. She said very calmly, “You don’t have to be afraid, Jesus will be with you.” The boy went back to the garage. He opened the door and was still afraid to go in. So he closed his eyes, stuck out his hand and said, “Jesus, would you hand me the broom?” There have probably been situations like that when you wished Jesus or the Father were standing right there in bodily form to help you. But they weren't. Even though we can’t see the Father, Son or Spirit, the Bible talks about God’s presence as something that is very real. What is unique about God is that He is present everywhere at the same time. Understanding God’s presence is important for many reasons. One of the most important is that when we understand God’s presence we feel safe. Let’s consider five implications of God’s presence.

5 implications of God’s Presence

1. He holds everything together Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3. Think about God keeping every particle of the universe together. It’s mind boggling to think about that for even just a few minutes. He’s so great.
2. He always sees everyone on the earth Psalm 33:13-15. He’s not a distant, uninterested God. He’s actually engaged with everyone’s life. That includes you.
3. We can’t hide from God Psalm 139:7-12. How foolish we are to think we can lie or cheat or do anything in secret. God always knows what we are doing.
4. God is close to the righteous while being far from the wicked Proverbs 15:29. His watching eye is focused especially on those who live for Him. When you did something good and thought no one saw you, God did!
5. He is present when we need Him Psalm 46:1. He always sees us so He knows when we need Him. He’s always nearby to help. Just thinking about that can help us feel safe.

There is one other aspect of God’s presence that is different from God being everywhere. On Jesus’ last night with His disciples He told them He was going away, but wouldn't leave them alone. He said the Father was sending the Spirit to be with them (and us) forever John 14:16-17. This was fulfilled for those disciples 50 days after Jesus death. It was fulfilled for you and me when we trusted in Jesus. The Spirit of God is always with us. We’re never alone. The concept of God being everywhere is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. What is within our grasp to understand is that God cares enough to be with us. That is cool. [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix="@wardcushman"]God tells us over and over in the Bible He is with us. He wants us to know it![/inlinetweet] Think about that through the day. How has God’s presence been real to you lately? Please leave a comment or question below.