Your right hand shall hold me.
Do you ever have a moment where suddenly you just feel completely aware of God’s presence?
I think that happened to King David when he wrote Psalm 139:
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, 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. – Psalms 139:7-10 NIV
It is as if he were overwhelmed by the fact that God is always there, that His presence surrounds us day and night, wherever we go. I don’t know what triggered this sudden realisation that made David burst into a song, but I can imagine it could have been a moment where he felt God most tangibly.
When I look back over the past year, I can definitely pinpoint a few of those in my own life. Both in the most painful times, like at my son’s deathbed, as well as during some of the profoundly joyful moments, I experienced God’s presence near me.
Therefore, my contemplative question for today is: When did I notice God most directly during this past year?
You may experience God’s nearness in so many different ways – in Scripture, at church, at home, with your friends, in your devotional time. What had the biggest impact on you this year? What were the times you felt God’s presence most?
We serve a God who wants to be found, who wants to be near and close to you. While some people might have an image of God as a distant entity, who is to be feared and impossible to please, our Heavenly Father desires nearness.
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. – Isaiah 55:6
