ALWAYS WITH YOU

One of my holy places is a retreat house that overlooks a beautiful lake.  It is a place I spend different weekends in ministry helping in the dining area, as well as personally attending retreats.

 

 

I missed ministering there last year, especially for extended weekends, because of the pandemic.  They were able to open up for some day retreats back in the fall, which I attended. I was fortunate to attend two Lenten retreats within three weeks.  How could I not take advantage of the blessing of spending alone time with the Lord and soaking up the beauty of the grounds?

 

 

The 2 1/4 hour ride each way was so enjoyable both days as the sun accompanied me throughout the day.  It is a nice 12-hour day, including the travel time.  I was able to experience the beautiful sunrise on my way there and the sunset on my return home.  When traveling to the retreat center, I was heading west, so I could see both the sunrise and sunset as I looked in my mirrors.

 

 

 

With the beauty of the sunrise and sunset at my back, it felt like God’s presence was following me, leading me from behind.  His illuminating light was guiding my path throughout the whole day.  It was a beautiful visual of a great truth, which reminded me of the presence of the Lord the Israelites experienced.

 

 

They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest.  As they moved on each day, the cloud of the Lord hovered over them.  –Numbers 10:33-34  (NLT) 

The Israelites were traveling from Sinai to the land of Canaan, which was the Promised Land.  The Lord’s presence was in the cloud and determined when the Israelites would set out and stop traveling for the day.  God’s presence was guiding them and always with them.

 

 

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!  —Psalm 139:5-7  (NLT)

Because of God’s great love for us, He goes before us and even follows us. Everywhere we go, God is there. God is omnipresent, meaning God is present everywhere all the time.  Our minds find this hard to comprehend. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit after He ascended back to God. Not only is God with us but God lives in us!

 

 

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. –Exodus 13:21-22 (ESV)