Sensing God

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I shall not be afraid, for you are close beside me. (Psalm 23:4 NLT)

I am afraid of walking downtown after dark. Sometimes there are other people around, but I’m not sure which of them are friendly. I feel much braver when I have my husband beside me. This is one of those times I stick close to him. If he gets ahead of me, I will walk faster to catch up with him. If he lingers at a store, I stay with him. I’m not sure if my husband can fight off a bunch of bad guys, but I figure just having him close will dissuade the bad guys from approaching.

Even when we walk through the darkest valley, our Lord is close beside us. Yet, sometimes we can’t sense His presence, and we become fearful and anxious.

I have noticed that some people seem to have higher spiritual sensitivity than others. I have also heard of those who have sudden spiritual insights that lead to deep transformation. How can we sense God? Is it an ability that some people are just born with? Or is it a skill that is developed by practice and discipline? I don’t know the answer. Either way, I suspect that God plays a bigger role than we do in the whole thing.  

Lord, even though You are always with us, sometimes we can’t sense your presence--and we become fearful and anxious. Please let us know you are with us in ways that we can understand.