Lord God are You Here with me now?
Do you ever find yourself asking – Lord God, are You here with me now? As people of faith, we are given an answer when we read the Bible, take in devotionals making the top 10 on The NY Times Best Sellers list and listen to the messages on Sunday morning. If you are truly honest with yourself, all this information seems to point to an obvious answer, but you may be filled with:
????????
especially if the question deals with the words HERE and NOW.
Lord God are You here with me now?
How do you respond?
I was recently home, by myself while my guys were on a road trip to the Badlands and Yellowstone National Park . Car problems came midway between the Badlands and Yellowstone 😳. A piston blew the engine and the garage where it landed could not work on it. The car was then towed from Gillette, Wyoming to Rapids City, South Dakota the closest Kia dealer. (140 miles)
Lord God are You here with me now?
When surrounded by situations not planned for, security and confidence may not be obvious.
A problem was actually a blessing. The farther west the guys traveled, brought less WiFi access. That meant NO communication. I had no knowledge about the car, their trip anything. An empty feeling swirled around me, but as strange as it sounds, the answer to “Lord God are you here with me now?“ came in the affirmative. Possible anxiety did not take over.
It was necessary to occupy my mind though so I grabbed a Photoshop Elements handbook and started creating. I wanted to work with this question and approach it in such a way to touch others walking on a challenging path. (The response was the upper art piece with the black background and eventually this one.)
Lord God Are You Here with Me Now?
Many hymns reflect victory but others are a response to pain and trauma dealing with this question
The story behind the hymn IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL by Horatio Spafford reflects victory and yet is surrounded in pain.
This man lost his fortune in the Chicago fire of 1871. By the year 1873, Spafford regained his wealth and so the family planned a well deserved vacation in England. Mrs. Spafford took their four children ahead and Mr. Spafford would meet up with them as soon as possible.
Tragedy again struck this family. The ship carrying the Spafford family collided with a powerful iron-hulled ship and went down. After landing in Cardiff Wales, Mrs. Spafford wired her husband with this message:,
“Saved alone, what shall I do?”
Spafford’s tormented mind and soul cried out, “Lord God are You here with me now”? Spafford’s pain and honesty did not turn him away form God. This was the only place to go. While on the ship, taking Spafford to his wife, they crossed the very location of his childrens’ watery grave. The captain brought Spafford to the deck. Nothing is recorded as Spafford bid his children farewell, but we do know his inner response to God. Out of the pain, praise came forth to the only One who could meet him in this time of need. (It Is Well With My Soul story.)
Responding in Honesty
Doubt and faith do not oppose each other. In fact having one and never the other, is not growth. Where there is no challenge, are you being totally honest? Being honest and daring to seek God’s heart is life. God is gentle and kind. God will never leave you. In fact the story behind the hymn Amazing Grace reflect God’s amazing love to a life consistently running away. Check out Love Always Offers Second Chances,
Create within your questions. Ask God for His Presence . Be willing to respond in doubts and in faith. As you come to your own answer to “Lord God, are you here with me now?” and truly seek His heart, there will be peace,
Do you have a story where this question pierced you soul? If the question is still harsh, denying all hope and peace, be honest. God is still walking with you. His outstretched hand is ever present and willing take yours.
Share here if you wish or DM if you have a story or questions,
Receive, Reflect and then Respond.
We are all on this journey together.