“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.”- Psalm 145: 18-19
When life becomes crazy, stressful, or assaulted and devastated by adversity, we lose our sense of God’s nearness. Laura Story notes in Chapter 8 (“When We Lose Our Sense of His Nearness”) of Blessings that during such times we may be so overwhelmed that we may be unable- or unwilling- to experience God’s presence and love. Yet, as John Ortberg has written, God is closer than we think. A. W. Tozer comments on God’s nearness: “We never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.”
This is a truth we need to affirm despite circumstantial appearances to the contrary. As Laura Story adds, God is not just near- He is here! What, then, do we need to do to know we’re in the presence of God? C. S. Lewis offers a test:
“The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a very small object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether.”
Today’s question: What spiritual practices do you find most effective in experiencing God’s presence? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Senseless suffering or blessings in disguise?”
