“Where can I go from your spirit?
Or 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.”
(Psalm 139: 7-10)
Last week we were reminded how God hems us in, how God surrounds us, and this week we get even more reassurance of God’s presence in our lives.
And really, there isn’t a day I don’t need this reminder.
There is always something pulling my attention away from God.
There is always good news and bad news in my day.
But that’s why we have this promise in the psalm today:
No matter where we find ourselves, God will be there.
While this text can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, I find myself taking it figuratively more often than literally. Though I do believe that this text can be read literally as well, it’s more meaningful for me to take it figuratively.
So instead of heaven and hell, I think good days and bad.
So to me, this text says: on the best of days – God is there.
And on the worst possible day of our lives – God is there.
There is no place that God can’t be.
Name a place.
God is there.
God is there.
Name a moment.
God is there.
God is in birthing rooms and nurseries.
God is in chemo centers and oncology wards.
God is in cars on the freeway and on couches in homes.
Heaven or hell.
Land or sea.
Near or far.
Good or bad.
God is there.