One of the lectionary readings for this week from the RCA's "At Home With God's Word" was Psalm 22. This is the psalm which starts with the words Jesus quoted on the cross "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me." I presume that we've all uttered those words or something similar in our own times of distress and agony. In actuality the Psalm on the whole is an expression of confidence and trust in God as expressed in verse 4-5, "In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you delivered them. To You they cried and were saved; in You they trusted and were not put to shame."
The Spiritual Formation Bible in its side note to Psalm 22:9-10 says: "In the middle of this Psalm about terrible suffering and forsakenness, the psalmist remembers that even in the womb he was protected by an unseen hand. We don't have to ask God to be present, for God is always with us; rather, we need to ask for an awareness of God's eternal presence. The mystic Meister Eckhart says, "You do not need to see him here or there, he is no further off than the door of your heart.""
The question that is asked of us is "What helps you to stay conscious of God's presence?"
One book that helps me to remember the presence of God is the devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Last night's reading said, "Though I (referring to Jesus or God) have brought many pleasures into your life, not one of them is essential. Receive my blessings with open hands. Enjoy my good gifts, but do not cling to them. Turn your attention to the giver of all good things, and rest in the knowledge that you are complete in Me. The one thing you absolutely need is the one thing you can never lose: My Presence with you."
God is with you for your good and well-being. Be glad and serene.
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