Held Fast

Psalm 139:7–10

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths [or in Sheol, or in hell], you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.     NIV

God’s presence is His Spirit. God told the prophet Jeremiah that He fills all things, that He fills the heaven and He fills the earth. It’s not the visible, manifest form of God that fills the heaven or the earth, but it’s that invisible, imperceptible presence of God the Holy Spirit which permeates the entire universe.

No matter where we go, that invisible hand is stretched out to hold us. No matter how far we may sink down or how high we may rise, we cannot go below the level of God’s presence or ascend above it. God’s presence is always with us. He hears every word we speak; He knows every thought. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Sometimes we may feel bereft and forsaken, but it’s only in appearance. The presence of God is always there, this side of the ocean or the other, up or down, successful or in defeat, the presence of God is always with us and ultimately His presence is our peace.