Whither shall we go?

Grace for All

Made in His Image

Psalms 139:7-12

"Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning dawn and settle in the farthest corners of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light around me will become night,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."

Not long ago, a bumper sticker caught my eye. It read: "God doesn't believe in atheists." That statement made me pause, ponder its intent, and ultimately conclude it was a clever but narrow-minded view of people. My gut reaction was:

You know, God does believe in atheists.

In the passage we just read, the Psalmist presents a range of choices for directing our lives. We can ascend to heaven, make our bed in hell, or fly to the distant reaches of the sea. Yet, wherever we are, even if we summon darkness to engulf us, God remains present. Some may declare their disbelief in God throughout their lives, attempting to persuade others to think and act as if God never existed, as if creation somehow spontaneously arose.

These reminders in the Psalms serve as a powerful message: our attempts to distance ourselves from God are ultimately futile. Nothing we say or no place we go can remove us from His presence. He is always with us, at our right hand, ready to offer his grace and love. No matter who we are, what we say, or where we choose to be, God believes in us. And he is always there.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for the constant assurance of your presence, regardless of what we say about you or where we choose to be. You are always there, and for that, our hearts overflow with gratitude. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.