But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

A man by the name of Meister Eckhart was a medieval German preacher whose main subject in his messages was ‘the presence of God.” He said: “I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and the presence of God.”

How do we cultivate a sense of God’s presence? It’s important to begin and end the day with the Lord, making time for silence, Bible reading, prayer, and thanksgiving. Between getting up and going to bed, we should learn to pray quietly about whatever comes. “Lord, bless this phone call.” “Lord, help me rest on this flight.” “Father, encourage that sad face I just passed.”

If the evil in the world troubles us, imagine how it hurts the Lord to see it too. But we’re not alone. We have a faithful Defender, Friend, and Confidant who walks with us through life. He will guard us from the evil one.

We have the presence of a faithful God wrapping His arms around us day and night. And it’s in that thought that we can rest.

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 73:25-28

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.

Meister Eckhart wrote: We should grasp God in all things and should train ourselves to keep God always present in our mind.