God Is Here, There, Everywhere…and Especially with YOU
Gary Piper of Fort Gratiot, MI, USA
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. -Isaiah 54:10
There are times when amid the storms life throws at us we need to stand against the howling wind. Rain pounds on our faces, the roar of thunder echoes in our ears, and darkness is all around. We shout to the world our praises and thank God for the brightness of Divine presence.
Jesus promised in Matthew, if we tell others that we belong to him, he would tell God that we are followers of Jesus. When we are aware of God’s presence in our storms, God’s power increases our strength, and we experience Divine love and compassion.
Often my early response to finding myself floundering in one of life’s storms is to stand up and shout, “Okay, God, where are you?” But slowly over the years and the many storms I’ve experienced, I’ve learned to first identify God’s presence. Doing so doesn’t weaken the storm, but it certainly strengthens and brings comfort to me. Now with the current storm raging in my life, because I’ve already responded to God’s presence, there are times I find myself thinking I should be worrying and fretting rather than feeling this peace.
Just because there may be times you cannot see evidence of God’s presence in your life, it doesn’t mean God is absent. It simply means God chooses to work behind the scenes where the storm is most dangerous. It’s all the same to God. Here’s how the Psalmist puts it:
Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. -Psalm 139:7-12
Prayer Phrase
I surrender into your love, O God.
Spiritual Practice
Surrender
What might it look like to surrender a little to God each day? A simple prayer of surrender can help us become aware of God’s consistent invitations to deeper relationship and awareness. Imagine when you encounter a challenging person or situation silently uttering this prayer, “I surrender into your love, O God.” The same prayer can be meaningful in moments of joy and gratitude as a way of returning to the awareness of oneness with God. It’s ok if we don’t surrender everything all at once all the time. The prayer of surrender is a constant practice of returning little by little to the deepest love that is the ground of our being and desires wholeness and oneness for us and all creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
