You are never alone

The psalmist gives us a figurative description of God’s protection. “The Lord will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” The Psalmist never tells us that under His wings you shall see, he instead says you shall find refuge.

If we cannot trust God when He is not in sight, then he cannot be called a trustworthy God. An atheist once told a small boy, “I will give you an apple if you could show me where God is.” The boy quickly replied, “I will give you a basket-full of apples instead, if you can show me where God is not present.”

Reflecting on the omnipresence of God, the Psalmist says with deep faith: “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.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

Decades ago, the English steamer Stella was wrecked on a rocky coast. Twelve women were put on a lifeboat. But with no oars and a harsh storm at sea, the life boat was tossed into the boisterous sea. One of the women in the boat was Margaret Williams, well known for her sacred singing. She began praying and gave courage to her companions by singing songs of comfort to them all through the night.

When morning broke, a rescue boat waded through the fog and came close to them. The rescue team would have missed the boat in the fog if they had not heard the voice of Margaret Williams. Surprisingly, the song she was singing that drew the rescue team close was a selection from Elijah “Oh rest in the Lord, wait patiently for Him!”

Saint Augustine’s trusted in God’s ever abiding presence in his life saying: “Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love and the future to His providence.”
Sir Issac Newton too had such trust saying: “I can take my telescope and look millions of miles into space but I can go away to my room and get nearer to God in heaven than I can when assisted by all the telescopes of earth.” When you go through storms in life, believe in the presence of God. You are never alone.