“Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord,
“And not a God far off?
Can a person hide himself in hiding places
So that I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:23-24

God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, was ruling against the bad shepherds who were leading his people, his sheep, to their deaths. His words of power here not only reflect His ability to see the perpetrator in the midst of his evil actions, but the victim in his moment of suffering.

God is not inactive, as some would reckon activity, to paraphrase Peter. God is working on a timeframe and a scale we can’t see; sometimes, when we are hurting, He may seem to be distant. In reality, he is more present than anyone else.

“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” A challenge spoken against the little gods of Canaan, who relied on places and objects for worship. God, the Creator, is bigger than that. Big enough to save you when you are hurting and big enough to comfort you when the hurt is over.

You can’t hide from God, so count on that. It’s up to you and the condition of your heart whether that is scary or comforting.

Ethan Kirl

Originally Published June 25, 2021