When You Feel Far From God - Encouragement for Today - November 19, 2019

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- November 19, 2019 When You Feel Far From God [SHARON JAYNES]( [ Listen to this devotion]( “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” [Hebrews 13:5]( (NIV) One day I was praying for my son a prayer that had almost become as rote as “God is great. God is good.” Dear God, please be with Steven today, I whispered. Just as abruptly as a referee’s whistle calling foul, the Holy Spirit stopped me mid-sentence. Why do I pray that every day? God is with Steven. Why am I asking for something that he already has, as if I don’t believe it? So, I amended my mother prayer. Dear Lord, please help Steven be aware of Your presence today. The truth of God’s here-ness and nearness is punctuated throughout Scripture. David wrote: “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” ([Psalm 139:7-10]( NIV). The writer of Hebrews reminds us that God’s words to the Israelites also apply to you and me. (And it’s confirmed in [Deuteronomy 31:6]( 8 and [Joshua 1:5]( “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” ([Hebrews 13:5](. There was a common saying going around a few years ago: “If you feel far from God, guess who moved?” But God is not a being that can be moved away from. There is nowhere you can go that is away from His presence. But (and this is a big but), you can feel far from God. The cure for the feeling of farness comes in capsules of praise, thanksgiving and acknowledgment of His presence. It comes in practicing the presence of God. The good news is that “practicing” the presence of God is not as arduous as learning to play a musical instrument or as physically taxing as preparing for a marathon. Practicing the presence of God is found in acknowledging His presence in all of life. It’s simply a two-step, danced to the rhythm of God’s cadence, in the spin of the laundry and the sizzle of bacon in the pan. Practicing the presence of God is the constant awareness of His presence and the attentive acknowledgement of His workings. [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](