“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” (Psalms 139:7-10 NIV).

I hear this voice in the weight room. My eyes are closed, but I can still hear it. Sweat dripping down my face, struggling to lift my arms, but that voice is still present, “You got this, come on!”

It’s not harsh nor condemning, but encouraging; it builds me up, gives me strength.

Have you been in a situation like that before in the weight room, with your coach or a teammate cheering you on, encouraging you to push yourself to the limits, to get stronger, push harder, go the distance?

What about a different environment – the weight room is empty, not a sound or a voice of encouragement, just you sitting there in silence.

It’s a completely different feel to be alone with no one around. You are still working hard, but when you have teammates and coaches around you, you somehow summon up more strength, push your body further.

The influence and power of presence!

When Mary and Joseph were to name the baby Jesus, He was to be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Where can we go that He is not there? Paul even takes it a step further when writing to the church in Corinth, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

God is with you and is within you! Knowing that God is with you gives strength, power, confidence and freedom!

How will you turn your knowledge that God is with you into an experience? Just like you believe your coaches want to make you stronger and better when they are beside you, encouraging you, challenging you to get better, you are experiencing their presence.

Jesus told His disciples that He will be with them to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), and that same promise is true for you and me.

Reflect: Knowing this truth, how will you experience God’s presence in your life today?

Go forth with confidence, courage and boldness knowing that the Lord your God is with you wherever you go! He is Immanuel, God with us!