“‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?’” (Jeremiah 23:23-24).
My spirit is restless to understand the ways of the Lord. I know His thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are His ways my ways, but still. I’m His child, and I want — I need — to see His hand at work in the world around me.
Where Can I Go From Your Spirit, Lord?
I close out each day reading from a little book of Scripture, each page gathered beneath a theme, a thought … a concept of God. The leather cover of Daily Light is growing soft and worn from use, its pages beginning to take on the fragrance of my hand lotion applied each night as I settle into bed.
A few nights ago, my devotional began with, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” (Genesis 28:16), followed by Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
Am I aware of God’s presence? Do I look for Him in the hard places, remembering that He promised to never leave me nor forsake me? Is this why He spoke to me in what I perceived to be a stern voice, saying, “‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?’”
When the Lord is “in this place” — when He is with me — I want to open the eyes of my heart to see Him. With the world in chaos, the Lord is my peace … the Lord is your peace. He is our sure place, our constant. Heaven and earth are filled with His glory and His love remains no matter what we may face.
His love! Oh, my goodness — the depths of which we cannot understand. When I try to share His love with others, I sometimes feel like a tiny bird trying to explain the expanse of the sky, or one raindrop trying to explain a torrential downpour.
Words cannot explain.
And yet, I know it is real — this love that takes my breath away.
Heaven and Earth Joined Hands so That We Can Know Him
This love that surrounds me with songs of deliverance and carries me through the difficult places … this love that pursues me, and is with me always because heaven and earth have joined hands so that we can know the Living God.
My difficult place will never place me outside of God’s reach.
And neither will yours.
“Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord,” * for surely the Lord is in this place with us.
Selah
*Hosea 6:3
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
So beautiful and comforting – and TRUE!
I could read and reread this every morning and night, Nan!!
Thank you, Paul. That encourages me more than you know. I’m so thankful it ministered to you!