God’s Comforting Presence

October 31, 2010

Background Scripture: Psalm 63
Lesson Passage: Psalm 63

I believe that all of us experience times in our Christian walk when God’s presence seems distant. Sometimes this appears to happen as a result of our own behavior or even failure to act. At other times it seems to occur at the moment of indecision when we really want God to give us some clear directions. Whatever the time or occasion may be, we find ourselves groping for some tangible evidence of God’s presence with us. As we seek God, he always comes through for us. When he does, we are moved from concern and frustration to joy and excitement. It is exhilarating to go from longing and seeking to satisfaction and praise. How do we make that transition? One of the ways we transition from problems to praise is by meditating on God’s word. Meditation requires quiet time. We need a time and/or place where all of the distractions of this world can be tuned out so that we can just think and reflect on God’s goodness. Meditation allows us to reflect on God’s prior actions in our lives as well as on the promises in his word. Through meditation, we are somehow able to connect God’s promises with the anticipation of a brighter future. With such a wonderful gift of God through meditation, then meditation should be a regular activity in our day to day living. When should we meditate? For many of us, nighttime is the right time for meditation. In some cases, nighttime is the time when much of the activities that surround us in the day shut down. For certain, this would have been the case during the time of David. The wilderness of Judah was the setting for the occasion of the writing of this psalm. David was there in hiding from his enemy. While there, he was meditating on the comfort of God’s presence. Nighttime would have given David a temporary reprieve from pursuit by his enemy. While they would have rested in preparation for another day of search and destroy, David rested in the comfort of God’s presence through meditation. This is a very important lesson for us to learn. If we have become frustrated with our enemies, we can be assured that the fate of the enemies of the children of God is destruction. We are benefactors of God’s loving kindness towards us. God’s loving kindness is worthy of praise for it is greater than life itself because God’s reach is beyond even the grave. When God is our protector, who then should we fear? While our enemies seek strife, God’s children should meditate on the peace and tranquility of God’s sanctuary. Through meditation, God will cause us to think of the sanctuary while dwelling in the wilderness of life. With that, no matter where we find ourselves, we can rest in God’s comforting presence.


Robert C. Hudson
October 25, 2010