God’s Presence Strengthens Us

BY Nicole Smithee

When I was four years old, I broke my collarbone. I fell off my bed, landed on my shoulder, and heard a snap. In my four short years of life, I had never felt anything like the excruciating pain suddenly pulsating through my body. Immediately, I began crying. My mom called my dad at work to let him know what happened, and then she rushed me to the emergency room.

I remember crying and crying and crying. My mom tried to comfort me. My big sister tried to help me. The nurses tried to reassure me everything was going to be okay. Unfortunately, it didn’t help. I cried in the car, the waiting room, the exam room. I cried the whole time the nurses prepared me for X-Rays.

Then it happened. My dad flung open the doors to the exam room. He had left work early and rushed to the emergency room to get to me. He entered the room, his eyes met mine, and I immediately stopped crying. I was still in pain, still hurting, still in need, but my father’s strong and loving presence in the room changed everything for me. My dad walked into my room, and when he walked in, fear walked out.

In life, we will face bumps and bruises, broken bones and broken hearts. No one is exempt from difficulties, disappointments, and trials. Our hope is not in the absence of trouble, but in the presence of God. His presence strengthens us, even when we are at our weakest.

God is truly in our midst (Zephaniah 3:17). When we acknowledge His presence and turn to Him, He becomes a refuge for us and a present help in our troubles (Psalm 46:1). He tends to us and protects us as a good shepherd tends to his flock (Isaiah 40:9–11). We don’t need to grit our teeth and bear the difficulties we face alone, and we certainly don’t need to navigate the storms of life in our own inner strength and moral compass. Instead, God’s presence becomes the source of our power and courage. 

What troubles are you facing today? What difficulties are seeking to rob you of your peace and joy? Today, I pray you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your heavenly Father has walked into the room of your life and He’s not going anywhere! I pray that you would know the sheer joy and complete peace of having God close to you, lavishing His love on you, relentlessly pursuing you, and fiercely protecting you. I pray that you would know God is with you, and His presence would dismantle the power of fear and fatigue in your life!