The Miracle of His Presence

Today, I sat with a man whose life on earth is waning. When I entered the room, he was groaning a little. I don’t think he was in pain, but breathing was hard work, and he was tired. I rubbed his arm and spoke to him, but the groaning continued. I kept rubbing his arm, and began to softly pray, asking God to wrap His arms of comfort around him, to help Him feel the love of the Father, and to take away any fears he might have. Like a warm blanket, His presence spread over that room, and the groaning faded. My friend fell asleep. During the hour I was there, he woke a few times, but he never groaned again.

The presence of God.

Over and over in scripture, God assures us of His presence. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deut. 31:6 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Heb. 13:5 “No on will be able to stand against you, all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you: I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Josh. 1:5. Like a little child who has turned down the bend in the road, and lost sight of our Father, we are constantly needing assurance of the presence of God. Are You still there, Lord? What about in this situation- are You there, now? Our Father lovingly says, “Yes, I’m still here. I will never leave. Never.”

When the sun is shining, and the path is straight, we need to practice His presence. Talk to Him. Listen. Read His word. Study and grow. Because in all our lives, the path will twist, and it may be harder to feel His presence. Those are the times when we especially need to hear His whisper, “I’m still here, Right here,”

Today, take a moment to sit quietly. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Welcome God’s presence into your day and your life experiences. Ask Him to show you, today, the small miracle of His presence.

How has God revealed His presence to you today?