“Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (Psalm 139:3–7).
“This is the conductor, Brittany. His name is Mr. Ben. He’ll take care of you during your train ride.” Brittany’s dad handed her suitcase to the man with the blue uniform and scruffy mustache. Slowly, she reached up to shake Mr. Ben’s hand, but he was already turning to lead her up the little staircase and into the coach car of the train.
Her dad hugged her good-bye and held onto her shoulders for a second. “Remember what we talked about. Mom and Grandpa will be waiting for you at the station. If you need anything during the trip, ask Mr. Ben. He knows where the restrooms and the dining car are.”
Brittany nodded her head.
“You okay?”
Brittany nodded her head again. She was feeling like there might be some kind of crazy hamster wheel twirling in her stomach.
“I’m sorry you’re having to go on by yourself. But Mr. Ben will take good care of you on the train, and I’ll be able to join the rest of the family when I get off work on Friday night. All right?”
She nodded again.
“Okay, then. I love you. See you soon!”
Brittany climbed the staircase and sat down in a seat. She got the whole seat to herself, and she was right by a window. Mr. Ben handed her a carton of chocolate milk. The twirling-hamster-wheel feeling in her stomach was starting to go away. This wasn’t so bad, after all. From where he stood on the platform outside, her dad was waving to her, and she smiled as she waved back.
Have you ever had to try something new for the first time? Have you ever been in a situation that made you nervous because you were all by yourself? Like Brittany’s experience with a train trip all alone, sometimes we get stuck in uncomfortable places or circumstances that we have to go through. We cannot always pick or choose the way we want things to be. And Brittany had the promise of Mr. Ben taking care of her, but sometimes we really cannot turn to anyone. Sometimes we cannot count on a human being to help us through a new or difficult experience.
But If you are a believer in the God of the Bible you can remember that God is everywhere at all times. He is God. He is always there for us to talk to, always there for us to call on for help, and always there when we need to know we are not alone. He is always there even though we cannot see Him.
How often do you think about the fact that God is everywhere, all the time? The word for that is “omnipresent,” which means “present everywhere.” If God’s children reminded themselves more often that He is omnipresent, they would probably feel safer, braver, and more willing to trust in Him. His people are never truly alone when they go through hard things. Whether it is on a train, in a hospital, around a campfire, near a grave, in front of a crowd, or up a tree, God is there. He is truly everywhere we go.
God is everywhere at all times.
My response:
» When I am alone, do I forget God and start thinking like I am alone?
» When I face a new experience or a hard trial, do I think about where God is?
» How can I show others that I believe God is everywhere I go?