Psalm 139:8-10 When I was about five or six my friend and I were out in our back yard along the fence simply wandering around looking for something to do. While we were hanging out together I found a big rock and decided we didn’t want it in our yard so I tossed it over the back fence. I didn’t realize the neighbor was out in his yard and saw me.
He yelled at me. “Hey! Quit throwing rocks in my yard!”
I did what almost any five-year-old would do. I ran into my house and hid. I had done something wrong, got caught, and now didn’t want to have to face the world.
Part of what Jonah was doing on his trip to Tarshish was more than avoiding the work God wanted done. He was trying to get away from the guilt of facing God. What does the psalmist say about the presence of God? Where is God? According to verse 10, what does God do for us?
We all experience those times where we are not exactly proud of what we have done. We may feel bad about our actions and the people we may have hurt. We can feel that the best solution is to run away, hide from the face of God so He won’t see our failure.
But we can not hide from God. No matter where we go God is there. Even Jonah who was tossed into the depths of the sea was still in the presence of God.
No matter what we have done or failed to do, no matter what we feel about ourselves, we must remember that God is present with us. He is always with us.
And we must remember that God’s unavoidable presence is a presence that offers help. God cares for us. He tends to us, providing us with safety and salvation, hope and a second chance. As Jonah realized “Salvation comes from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)
We are never away from God. The Lord is there to guide us and to hold us fast – that is, He will help us to withstand any troubles.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you remember that God is with you in all places?
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