How do we know if God is really with us?

That's the question of a lifetime. How do we know that God is really with us?

Let's start by answering a similar question that was asked during the same service, which was, "God like go Walls with us?" For those of you not living on Oahu and not semi-fluent in Pidgin, allow me to translate: "Do you think God, in the midst of His cosmic obligations, might be willing to join us for a lively session of surfing at the spot known as 'Walls?'"

The answer to that question is that God is already there! David writes in Psalm 139:7-8, "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." There is no place that God isn't. God is with you when you ask if He'd like to join you at Walls, and He is there at Walls with your friends who are waiting for you.

So let's bring it back to the original question: "How do we know if God is really with us?" David, the guy who wrote that God is everywhere, also wrote, "Lord, why are you so far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" What's the deal? Is he even talking about the same God?

Yes, he is talking about the same God, and he's being very honest with his feelings towards God. In Psalm 10 (and a bunch of other psalms) David is expressing frustration over what seems like God's absence in times of trouble. However, David always comes back to trusting that God will make himself known and that He knows what He is doing.

Sometimes the reason it seems that God is absent is because there is too much noise in our lives. Try this. In the early morning when no one is up or late at night before you go to bed, sit for a moment in the silence. Don't turn any music on, remove any distractions, and open your Bible to Psalm 46:10, which says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Read the passage a few times to get it into your head, and then close your eyes and begin to "pray" it to God.

Listen for God in the silence. If your mind starts to wander, come back to the verse and pray it again. You might find that it's really hard to keep your mind from wandering, but it's okay. Just try this for a few minutes the first time, and if you find that it helps you to be more aware of God's presence try it for longer the next time.

By the way, it's perfectly alright, and spiritually honest, to express to God when it doesn't seem that He is really with you. God is big enough to handle it. Just remember that Jesus has promised that, "you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end" (Matt. 28:20b).


All Scripture quotations taken from the New International Reader's Version.