I am still with Thee

‘When I awake, I am still with thee’. Psalm.139:18. 

There are several passages in the Bible, where, God reminds us of His presence with us, such as in the gospel of Mathew.28:20, ‘.. lo I am with you always, even to end of ages’.

In this confession,  ‘I am still with thee’, the psalmist, David, is introducing  us to another reality. Where  am I when I am awake? Are we thinking or preoccupied with our work, family,disappointments, plans, etc.? We have a tendency to be flighty in our thoughts as many important events and happenings compete our attention.

The waking up time is the most refreshed time. That was when, David used to recollect himself before God. It was his  conscious effort to be centered in God, His love, forgiveness, goodness and guidance when he was awake in between sleep or while getting up . It was his practice to be open to God before he opened himself to work and relationships.  

Becoming present to God who is present with us is an act of discipline before it can become a habit. One practical way to grow in God-consciousness is to develop the habit of ‘centering prayer’. By recalling a word, phrase or a statement,  whenever we remember it during the day, which we found useful while meditating on the scripture in the morning, we allow the inner ambience to return to God centeredness. It is a way of making ourselves tuned to the inner reality of God, who  seeks to communicate to us in silence. This habit of returing to God by our consciousness is way of preparing for communion.

This way of inner recall connects us with the Stream of life, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who said,. 'Any one who is thirsty, let him come and drink ‘!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)