God’s Presence

"But as for me, God's presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all You do." - Psalm 73:28 HCSB.

So it was a few weeks or months since my husband passed, and I'm reading my Bible. I come across this verse and pause to take in what it's telling me. It made me think about it for a while, and I began to wonder if I would feel good, despite my circumstances, when I'm in God's presence. Or is it that simply being in God's presence is good for me? Or is it God's presence with me that makes my life good regardless of its difficulties, pain, and suffering? I started writing in prayer journals and then began to sit and join others in prayer.

Additionally, I began to read the Bible, looking for descriptions of God's presence; after spending time in uninterrupted prayer with God each day, I began to experience peace and even joy. I began to want more time in His presence and would spend longer praying. It has been an uplifting and strengthening experience. While building a prayer routine and studying God's word, I began to feel good and saw how God's presence in my life changed my perspective. His presence is beneficial and guaranteed - God has done so many things to help us get through one of the most life-changing events we've ever experienced. He has moved in my life - He's always been there and cared for our needs.

In the end, I believe all of those things to be true; I feel good spending time in God's presence; being in His presence is beneficial for me no matter what season of life I'm in, and it's His presence in my life that makes life good regardless of how it appears. I choose to focus on Jesus and study His word. The longer I focus on Jesus' goodness, the less I focus on life's struggles. I have a better mood and a positive attitude; I more easily trust God, worry less, and experience stress and depression infrequently. It's beautiful not to feel sad every day and to have Someone to think about rather than my sorrows. It's so comforting to know that there is someone who is always good in my life who genuinely cares about what is best for me. What would I do without God's presence in my life? I don't know or wish to imagine what that would look like.