Weekend, July 8, 2023
The Comfort of God’s Presence
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head (Psalm 139:5 NLT)
When the king of Babylon decreed that everyone must bow down and worship a gold image, there were three Hebrew teenagers who refused. Being good Jewish boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not want to break God’s commandments.
So, while everyone else in the kingdom lay prostrate before the image, there stood these three rebellious teenagers. And as a result of their defiance, the king had them cast into a blazing furnace. It was so hot, in fact, that it killed the men who put them there.
But then the king made an interesting observation. He said, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace? . . . I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” (Daniel 3:24-25 NLT).
The Son of God was walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in that fire.
The psalmist David wrote, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me” (Psalm 139:7-10 NLT).
Not only is God all-knowing, or omniscient, but He is also omnipresent, which means that He is present everywhere. No matter where we go, He will be there.
God promised, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT).
When we go through times of difficulty, when we must weather life’s storms, He is there.
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
