Brace Yourself!
I was fitted with braces on my teeth over a week ago, something most people go through in middle school. However, I did not choose to have braces, it was a necessary step prior to a dental procedure I have to have in six months.
I was told they would hurt. They have. I was told they would make eating difficult. It has been. I was told food would get trapped in them. It has. In fact, there is not a second that goes by that I am not aware of my braces. Yesterday, I was ready to remove them myself, but I got over that urge, and thankfully, today they are still in place!
Like braces, God is right there with us; we can’t remove his presence, but He’s certainly not as irritating as the metal brackets. What did Jesus say in Matthew 28:20? “Surely I am with you ALWAYS, to the very end of the age.” In order to feel his presence, God doesn’t tighten the wire in our mouths; he wants us to seek him out. He loves us so much that He gives us our freedom without bondage, but he desires our attention so that he can share more about Himself with us. Deuteronomy 4:29 promises that if we seek God we will find Him. “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Today you may feel removed from God. Join a Bible study and seek Him through His Word. Try spending time alone with Him in prayer and meditation. And here’s a thought, every time you breathe, realize it is God that gives you that breath. Acts 17:25 speaks to this: “Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” If you know God is in every breath, how can you deny His presence?