“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars.” — Psalm 84:3 (ESV)
The presence of our God is everywhere. He moves, lives, breathes and works all around us. Psalm 84:3 (ESV) declares the extensiveness of our Heavenly Father’s presence in saying, “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars.” Psalm 84 proclaims that even the birds of the air find their home before the altars of the almighty, living God. Even the birds of the air come before God’s presence as they lay their young in the canopies.
The psalm begs the question: If the birds come before their Creator while simply existing here on earth, how much more available is the presence of our Heavenly Father to us, His children? How much farther does His hand reach to us who are now covered by the powerful sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ?
There is nowhere we can run to and escape God’s reach. David writes in Psalm 139:7-12 (ESV), “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 Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” The God of all comfort, of all mercy, of all forgiveness, and of all love surrounds you right now. And as a child of God, you have His Spirit now dwelling within.
Prior to Jesus’ death, God’s people did not have constant access to the fullness of His presence. The nature of His holiness and our sin created an insurmountable crevasse between us and Him. But through Jesus’ death, we now have access to God’s nearness any time, any place. The veil between God and us has been torn, and we can now live our lives constantly experiencing the manifest presence of our Heavenly Father.
Where do you need God’s presence to fill you today? Where do you need comfort, peace or patience? Where do you need to be loved, held, liked or wanted? Your Heavenly Father is waiting to run out to meet you as the father did with the prodigal son. He’s waiting to throw you a party where you are His guest of honor. He loves you, likes you, wants you, and now, He has you. There is no better experience in life than connecting directly with your Heavenly Father. May you open your heart and experience all that He longs to pour out over you today as you spend time encountering Him in prayer.
— Craig Denison, First 15
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