The Ever Present God

1 February 2021

Isaiah 43:1-5

Lina Sandell Berg, a frail Swedish girl, spent much of her time with her beloved father, who was a pastor of a local Church. At age 26, she accompanied her father on a journey to Gothenburg, when tragedy struck midway – the ship they were travelling, gave a sudden lurch and Lina’s loving father fell overboard and drowned before her very eyes. Out of her broken heart, flowed many hymns, including the most beautiful hymn “Day by Day”. The second stanza of this song goes like this

“ Ev’ry day the Lord Himself is near me, / With a special mercy for each hour; / All my cares He fain would bear , and cheer me, / He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r. / The protection of His child and Treasure, Is a charge that He on Himself He laid:”

How could Lina experience God’s continued presence every day, every hour? In Isaiah 43:1-5, God does promise the redeemed, that He will be with them through all circumstances. But, it is impossible for a Holy God to make His dwelling in the hearts of sinful men. Sin has so separated man from God, that though God is omnipresent, He cannot make His dwelling in man. But what was impossible, God by His Grace made it possible. How did we become His redeemed ? At what cost ?

2000 years ago, the beloved Son of God, the Son whom God dearly loved, bore the sins of mankind on the cross. Jesus, who from the beginning was one with the Father, on the cross was separated from the Father, so that man, who from birth is separated from the Father, can through Jesus be united with the Father. What was promised through Isaiah, was fulfilled through Jesus, who is now not only our Redeemer , but also our Emmanuel – God with us. Redeemed man can now continually experience the abiding presence of the Omnipresent God, even as God dwells in him by the third person of the Godhead – Holy Spirit. Every moment of the day, through every grief and sorrow of life, we have the Father’s love, comforting our troubled heart. In spite of tragically losing her earthly father, it is this abiding Love of the Heavenly Father, that enabled Lina Berg to pen these meaningful words.

Day by day and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear;

He whose heart is kind beyond measure,

Gives unto each day what He deems best;

Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.