One day a few years ago, as I leave the church building and enter my car, I realize that I had misplaced my cellphone.
I look under the seats, between the seats, in the console, and even in the glove compartment.
No phone.
I reenter the church and scour my office.
No phone.
Then I get back into the car, start the car, and just sit in the parking lot.
When I start the car, the car stereo automatically plays the music that was connected to my phone. This, of course, is an indication that my phone is nearby.
As an experiment, I drive around the block. And yep, while I’m driving, the stereo is still playing the music linked to my phone.
This assures me that my phone is in my car somewhere. I soon discover that my phone was in my trunk.
So, even though I couldn’t see my phone, my phone was with me the whole time.
And even when you feel like you’re by yourself, even when you can’t see God in your situation, even when you feel like you can’t find God, God is with you the whole time.
Even when you’re in the wilderness or in the storm, God is still with you.