"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."
--Psalm 139:7-8 (NIV)
One of my favorite books is The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer. I love his teaching on the presence of God. So often, we view God as a far away, distant entity that can only be accessed by the most pious and holy people. We may even view ourselves as too sinful, too wicked, too "far-gone" in certain behaviors, essentially disqualifying ourselves from pursuing God.
If you have ever felt this way, I have good news for you! The word of God tells us that all have sinned and missed the marked (Romans 3:23). We also know that nothing (attitudes, poor choices, bad decisions, habits, behaviors, etc.) can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35). We further know that God so loved the world (all humanity) that he gave his only Son (John 3:16). We can never merit or earn his love, acceptance, or mercy. He has already given us these things by grace. We must simply receive them by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The key to moving beyond the "Are You Serious?" moments of life, is not avoiding the presence of God--but rather running into it. If you have found yourself asking (audibly or internally, "God! Where are you?", the answer is with you.
“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.”
― A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God