I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:7-11

DEVOTION

As a child, I remember having the opportunity to go to Disneyland in California on a visit to be with my grandpa, who lived near Los Angeles at the time. He took me and my siblings to one of those multidimensional movie theaters, which involve image that appear to be coming out of the screen, surround sound like you’ve never heard before, and even random bursts of air to give another dimension of touch. I don’t remember which movie we saw, but as soon as the first big part of the film occurred, I experienced a whole new level of fear. I felt completely alone and swallowed up in the false reality of the theater. Through darkness, tears, and my 3D glasses, I scrambled all around until I finally found and grasped, with all of my might, my grandpa’s arm. There was something immediately calming in the simple reminder that through my fear and confusion, he had been sitting right next to me the whole time.

I think we often do this with God. We tend to forget that he is an ever-present father who is available, active, and breathes life into us. It is too easy to become buried in the darkness of what distracts us, for our sense of reality and view of God to become clouded. Whether it be selfishness, addiction, greed, consuming too much of a wrong thing, viewing ourselves too highly, or trying to control everything on our own–these behaviors lead to distraction and pull our focus away from Jesus, giving the false appearance that he is distant.

Also, we must be careful to not only call out to him when we are fearful or find ourselves in a place of need. We should never forget that our true freedom is found in Christ and live in a constant posture of worship–holding close to him all the way through life, not only when we need him. As Psalm 16 says, our assignment is to bless him from a place of gratitude for being our ultimate guide and the one who offers us eternal life.

In a similar way to the lesson learned as a child in that movie theater, when you are met with the unexpected sense that you’re far from God, or find yourself entrapped in crippling anxiety, remove the lens of false reality and cling to the Good Father who has been right beside you all along. There is authentic and life-giving joy when we trust that God is omnipresent and when we put him first. It’s in his presence alone that we are guided, loved, and will not be shaken, no matter what comes our way. You are never too far away from him; he is right beside you if you just reach out.

What things in your life that are distracting you from living a life of true worship and finding ultimate fulfillment in the presence of God?

PRAYER

Father, thank you for being a God who is near. In humility, I ask that your Word and your Spirit guide me and speak louder than the distractions I face. Help me focus on what truly matters, and give me a spirit of surrender. Out of that spirit, I worship you for who you are. 

Amen.

Cole Grubbs

Crossings Edmond Worship Pastor

cgrubbs@crossings.church

"YOUR PRESENCE" LYRICS

I need your help God

To seek you first

Give you all the praise

Though it’s less than you deserve

Help me to focus

Distracted as I am

Put my eyes to your Word

And help me understand

You are the One

You are the center of my universe 

You call my name

Your presence Lord,

Is breathing life in me 

Is breathing life in me

It’s not always easy

To follow your path

When I try my own

I have to take a few steps back

Speak to me Jesus

Drown out my fears

Let me hear your voice

Make it loud and clear

I need your presence

I need your peace

Come let it wash over

And run through me

All I need is your presence

To set me free

I’m seeking the face of

The risen king

You’re Still Moving, the latest worship album from the Crossings Venue Worship Team, features seven inspiring songs intended to encourage you to live by faith, be a voice of hope, and be known by love. Listen to "Your Presence" right here, or listen to the entire album on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud.