Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? (Ps. 139:7)
THE LINE SNAKED BETWEEN rope barriers and ended at the security counter. She spoke as I exited the X-ray scanner. “Ma’am, step over here.”
“I don’t have time for this,” I groaned.
“Hold out your palms,” she commanded, then wiped my hands. “You’re clear.”
I grabbed my bags and rushed through the terminal. By the time I boarded the plane, my nerves were frazzled. Alone and headed to my grandmother’s funeral, the tears threatened to spill.
As I stowed my bag, He whispered, “Psalm 139.” I reached for my Bible and thumbed through the pages. The plane accelerated. I read. We broke through the clouds—“If I go up to the heavens, you are there” (v. 8). We skirted a body of water. “If I settle on the far side of the sea . . .” (v. 9). Tears flowed. His words squeezed my heart and reminded me I was not alone. Neither are you.
Christmas is typically a joyous occasion, but today’s celebrations may spawn a variety of emotions. Maybe you are elated because this is the first Christmas with your spouse. Perhaps your home is filled with excited children. Or maybe you are lonely because your loved ones are absent. The psalmist reminded us that God is ever present. He is with us in times of celebration, and He is with us in times of sadness.
Trust God to be with you today and tomorrow.
Jill Printzenhoff is a science teacher and avid reader. She enjoys kayaking, fishing, bike riding, hiking, and vacationing with her husband and their two daughters.
© 2017 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission
