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, 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.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
I started to get a little teary as I was typing that out. Psalm 139 is one of my favorite Psalms, maybe even a little more so with everything we are going through currently. I know times feel uncertain. We feel confused, alone and maybe even afraid. But like the verse above says; “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” And the answer is: NOWHERE. There is absolutely nowhere we can go where God is not with us. Even when we feel all alone at home during this Shelter in Place. Even when we feel like the world is divided and there is a spiritual war going on, God is with us.
Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Things feel dark. They feel heavy. But I want to remind you that there is no darkness in Christ. He is LIGHT and He has overcome death and more specifically right now, “the Coronavirus” and all this craziness going on in the world right now. Now don’t get me wrong, there is 100% no doubt darkness in the world because there is evil. There is most definitely a spiritual battle going on and we have to arm ourselves with God’s word which is TRUTH. Truth is not what we hear on TV or read on social media. Truth is given to us through the Bible which is the Word of God. And through the gift of discernment through the Holy Spirit. Ask God to open your eyes to the TRUTH. To see what is going on in the world, through His eyes.
Ephesisans 6:12 says: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
I want to encourage you NOT to put your life on hold until things “go back to normal.” Because here is what I think. I think that God is using this as a time for us to lean on Him and share with others the VICTORY found in Christ! We can draw on His strength that is made perfect in our weakness. Be alert, because the enemy knows exactly what he is doing when he makes you believe the lie that you aren’t enough. Or that it’s not your time to do the things you know that God has put on your heart. He makes us keep quiet instead of STANDING UP for what we believe.
Do you ever feel like you want to share something either on social media or to a friend/family member that you think God is putting on your heart. Only to shy away from speaking the truth because you feel maybe that your words don’t mean enough. Or maybe that you’re not “big enough” of a name in the world or on social media to reach people, so “why bother.” The enemy whispers these lies to us all the time and in times like now, heck he is shouting them to you because He knows full well that NOW is the time to press into your purpose. Now is the time to draw on God’s strength. Now is the time for us to spread the Gospel. And the enemy knows that if enough people turn to God and keep fighting and winning souls for the Kingdom, he will lose and God will win. (spoiler alert, devil. God has already WON!)
Dear friends, I urge you to open your Bible. (Yes, the book up on the shelf collecting dust.) And read Psalm 139 today and ask God what He wants you to be doing right now for His Kingdom. There is so much knowledge in the Bible. Read it and draw strength from His words. I know it’s easier to just pull up an app on our phones but how often do you do that and get distracted? Trust me. It’s not a coincidence. The enemy knows exactly what he is doing. You will think of a show you watched and “need” to google the character and see where you know her from. Or you’ll check Instagram “really quick.” I have made it a point to always put my phone away and sit with my physical Bible in my hand and let myself get taken away by the beauty and truth in God’s love letter to me! So just try it ok? Put your phone down and pick up your Bible. I PROMISE you, that it will be a blessing to you.
xo, Elizabeth