The Lord is near . . .

The oddest prayer Christians make is, “God be with us.” It is odd because where else is He? God is omnipresent, a big word meaning He is everywhere. It took me awhile to realize that what people really mean when they pray that way is, “God, may we sense or realize Your presence with us.”

How does that sense become lost? It happened to Adam in the garden after he sinned . . .

“And they (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:8–9)

Hiding from God might happen because of sin but hiding from God is like trying to hide from the air around us. David pondered this impossible task and wrote:

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” (Psalm 139:7–12)

Yet he knew, as do all of God’s people, that the sense of God’s presence can be lost. We sin and turn our backs. We resist the voice of the Holy Spirit. We get so busy with this life that we neglect the life of Christ within us. Yet, as Tozer says, God is here even when we are unaware of Him. No matter how dark our life might feel or how devoid of His being, He said He would never leave us or forsake us. He is here.

A man known as Brother Lawrence wrote a classic book around 1895 called, “Practicing the Presence of God” giving advice that might seem simple to some. He wrote: “He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.”

However simple this might seem, those who do it discover the value of this practice. At times, God’s presence is so obvious His breath can be felt on our cheeks, His laughter heard in our ears, His hugs touching our heart.

I’ve tried to make those things happen — by my imagination I suppose, but it doesn’t happen because I have a creative mind. Sometimes His presence is suddenly with me when I least expect it. This is a God-thing and when He comes with, “Where are you?” the important response must be, “Here I am!”

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Lord Jesus, I am blessed by Your presence, even at those times when it seems You are not here. Since You have promised to be with me always, paying no attention to those feelings is easier, as is being glad that I can say, “God, thank You that You are here with me, now and always.”

NOTE: Lots of bruising, wound like I've been stabbed, but blessed that I can sleep, and that movement becomes easier each day. Thankful for my hubby who has remarkable care-giving skills and thankful that the Lord lightened my load and developed muscles (a few weeks with a personal trainer) so I have some that take over for the others that are not working very well. Large pressure bandages are off, but left blisters. Nasty.