There are certain verses in Scripture that seem to grow with us. When I was younger, I appreciated Psalm 139 because it reminded me that God was everywhere. It was comforting, but mostly theoretical. I had not yet accumulated enough “theres” to understand the weight of David’s words. At sixty-one, I read this psalm differently.I no longer hear it simply as a lesson in theology. I hear it as a testimony. David begins this beautiful psalm by reminding us that God knows us completely (Psalm 139:1). Before he speaks of where God is, he reminds us of who God is—One who knows every thought, every fear, every hope, and every step before we take it (Psalm 139:2-4).
In Psalm 139:7, David asks one of the most profound questions in scripture. The answer, of course, is nowhere (Psalm 139:8-10). Every one of us has an “even there.” “There” may be the hospital room where the doctor quietly closes the door before speaking. “There” may be the courtroom where life changes with the strike of a gavel. “There” may be the empty chair at the dinner table after saying goodbye to someone you love. “There” may even be the quiet place where you finally discover who God created you to be. Whatever your “there” may be, David reminds us that God has already arrived.
The enemy would have us believe that hardship equals abandonment, but Jesus promised otherwise (Matthew 28:20). He says always. Not only when our faith feels strong. Always. The writer of Hebrews echoes that promise (Hebrews 13:5). Those words have become increasingly precious with every passing decade. Like many believers, I once believed God’s presence was most evident on the mountaintops. I expected Him to show up in answered prayers, celebrations, promotions, and open doors. Life has gently corrected that assumption. I’ve discovered that valleys often provide the clearest view of God. There has never been one season where God abandoned me. Not one. There were days when I couldn’t trace His hand. Today I can clearly see His fingerprints. He has always been “there”.
There are numerous examples of God being, “there”. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own flesh and blood (Genesis 37:18-36). Later, he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and jailed (Genesis 39). While he was in prison, he was forgotten (Genesis 40). Yet he was not alone, years later he could say, while evil was done to him, God had a good plan for his life (Genesis 50:20). Perspective has a remarkable way of revealing providence. Ruth provides another example.Widowed. Poor. Far from home. Her future looked uncertain, yet she promised to stay with her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:16). She thought she was simply following Naomi but God knew she was walking into the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).
Paul’s confidence in declaring all things work together for good (Romans 8:28) is yet another reminder. He says, God works through all things together for good. When we think we’re merely surviving, God knows we’re becoming. James and Peter remind us that difficulties refine our faith like gold is refined by fire (James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7). God’s hand does more than accompany us. His hand leads us. Too often we want floodlights. God prefers flashlights (Psalm 119:105). A lamp reveals enough for the next faithful step. Not the next twenty years. Proverbs reminds us,”Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Children instinctively reach for a parent’s hand. Not because they understand danger. But because they trust someone stronger than themselves. Our Heavenly Father does the same and makes it personal (Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13). What a beautiful picture. God doesn’t simply point us in the right direction. He walks with us. He holds us. Sometimes God’s greatest miracle is not changing our circumstances. Sometimes His greatest miracle is sustaining us in them. Isaiah paints perhaps my favorite picture of all in the eleventh verse of chapter 40. Our God is strong enough to create galaxies. Gentle enough to hold trembling hearts. As I have grown older, one truth has become increasingly clear. My security does not depend on how tightly I hold onto God. It depends on how faithfully He holds onto me.
Jesus affirmed this when He said, “No one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28). What a promise. There is no diagnosis…No disappointment…No detour…No celebration…No assignment…No goodbye…No beginning…where Christ’s hand cannot reach. Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).Even there…His hand is already reaching for ours. So if life has carried you somewhere you never planned to be, don’t waste your energy wondering whether God can find you. He already has.And when someone someday asks how you made it through a season that should have broken you…Perhaps your answer will simply be, “Even there, God has been with me and I never walked alone.”
Join me Under The Church Hat for this month’s devotion:
In less than 250 words, describe a time where can you now see God’s fingerprints in a season when His hand once seemed hidden?
What step of obedience is God asking you to take today instead of worrying about tomorrow?
Describe how does knowing that God arrives before you change the way you face uncertainty in less than 250 words.
List three ways you can intentionally place your hand in God’s today, trusting Him to lead your next step.
Choose a passage from this devotion to meditate on throughout the month.