Devotionals

Spotted and Preserved

by Anne Adams
04/08/22
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Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Ps. 139:7 NIV

"Hurry!" Dad urged little Jimmy. “The smoke's getting thicker!"

Just moments before when they had arrived at the state park to hike, Dad and Jimmy had to flee a sudden brushfire and run back to the nearby parking lot. Then as Dad shouted his warning, the smoke caught up to them as they arrived at the top of the small bluff above the lot and saw the car below.

Instead of taking the u path, Dad scrambled down, intending to have Jimmy leap down to him.

“Jump, I’ll catch you!” Dad yelled as he held out his arms as the smoke began to thicken around the terror-stricken boy above him.

"Daddy!" He screamed. "I can't see you!"  

"You don't need to!" The father called. "I can see you and that's all that matters! Jump!"

The churning smoke had just obliterated his small figure when Jimmy hurtled himself down the slope - and into his father's arms. They found their car and drove away.

In our passage the writer ponders what theologians call God’s omnipresence – how the Lord is always with us. It is, in fact, as the Psalmist says, you can’t escape it!  And of course I don’t want to, especially when I can be occasionally surrounded by the enveloping swirl of confusion on my spiritual journey. Indeed, if I can’t see him, then I know he can see me.

In addition, with that omnipresence comes another divine characteristic – the omnipotence that enables God to preserve and provides for me. So I know God’s omnipresence spots me – and his omnipotence preserves me – and that’s all that matters.