“…I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)
Photography is my hobby. I have a nice camera and several lenses. I shoot thousands of photos each year of nature and wildlife. Although indoor photography requires a whole different skill-set, I was asked once to take pictures at a large four-day conference. I did my best and most of the photos came out looking OK.
After downloading and reviewing the photos, something caught my attention. Some of the candid and close-up photos of VIPs engaging in conversation or eating snacks during the breaks often had individuals in the shadowy background. This reminded me of how God is always in the background of our lives.
Hold on to this next thought. God’s promise to followers of Jesus is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Did you get that? Did you miss it? God said He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.
How many times have you heard a Christian say they were praying, but God seemed distant and far away? Have you ever asked where God was when you needed Him the most and heaven was silent? Maybe the worst part is when we do not understand “why” God is silent and He says nothing at all.
Well, according to Hebrews 13, He is still around. He is still near by. Perhaps we have allowed Him to slip to the shadowy background of our lives, but He is still there. In fact, the word “never” in the Greek implies a double emphasis of never, never.
God is interested in every detail of your life. He is equally interested in maintaining a consistent relationship. If it takes a crisis to get your attention, He will use that, too. If God seems far away, my recommendation is to simply pray it through. Continue talking to God even if it seems like your prayers are going nowhere. You never know how God will answer your prayer. Perhaps in ways you hadn’t imagined. You will discover that your prayers “without ceasing” will also reposition Him from the shadowy background of your life to the forefront. Often, that is when we see the victory.
Speaking of shadowy backgrounds, I saw my first ever Blue Grosbeak the other day in my backyard. I had better grab my camera and see if it is still around. I never know what birds may be lurking around in the shadows.
Pastor Larry
Prayer Ministry

