The Omnipresence of God is a wonderful comfort, especially in the dark and lonely, frightening places. Amazing fact -- He is in front of us, behind us, on both sides and He indwells us. The glorious One, Who is the very essence of unconditional Love, promised that He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Then too, we have the glad assurance that our lives are hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Picture that reality. You are encompassed by the Almighty Lord Jesus and He is surrounded by the Sovereign God! What danger, hurt or harm could ever penetrate that protection? Nothing -- unless God deliberately stands aside to let something through.
If there are times He does stand aside, He doesn't leave; He is still there in Sovereign control, directing those things which will lift us from glory to glory in the process of RESTORING US TO HIS IMAGE (2 Corinthians 3:18).
But ... how does this come through when the hurting starts? When it FEELS like we've been cast adrift, all alone in the dark, on a perilous ocean, with no shore in sight? When it FEELS like there is no balm in Gilead (Jeremiah .8:22) and no Physician there? He knows our frame, He understands our weakness and the deluge of doubts which can torment us (Psalms 103:14). Paul speaks of God as the Source of all consolation, comfort and encouragement (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When and how did he get to know God in this way? As we read the following verses we see that he experienced terrible distress and was crushed to despairing of life. During the awful pressures in Asia he didn't panic, didn't turn the stones to bread but trusted God and found Him to be the God of all comfort. How? He speaks (vs.5) of Christ's own sufferings and those few words hold the secret.
Only at the Cross of Jesus does suffering for believers make sense. Take time to brood on the
mystery of the Cross, the great point of spiritual energy. Only there does His precious shed Blood, the balm of Gilead, spread healing throughout our entire being. Only there does the Holy Spirit shed such love in our hearts for the Saviour that nothing matters except that He is receiving the reward of His suffering as we are being RESTORED TO THE DIVINE IMAGE. Dawning joy and comfort add radiance to the pain in the deep realization that we are so precious to God that nothing can hinder the full restoration of everything lost in Adam. That's what it's all about. Not just pie in the sky when we die but (Romans 1:16-17) by the righteousness which God ascribes to us and reveals through us, we are privileged, increasingly, to show the world what God is like -- no matter the circumstances!
Just think! Us! Being transfigured in ever increasing splendour into HIS VERY OWN IMAGE!