by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Assured of God’s Presence

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.”
Psalm 77:19 English Standard Version

How do you follow someone if they don’t leave footprints?

Many of us remember trying to follow in the footsteps of our parents. I remember trying to follow my dad’s footprints in the snow. He was big and I was small. Stretching my legs to reach from one footprint to the next was nearly impossible, but I knew where his foot prints were. I knew the direction in which he was heading.

The psalmist isn’t saying that God doesn’t leave footprints. Even though God’s footprints might not have been a size 12, he did leave evidence of his presence with the Israelites. His presence was known when he established a barrier between the Egyptian army and the his people. His presence was known when the water spit, when the ground was dry, and when they crossed to their salvation.

The last time I was took a hike, I didn’t see the literal footprints of God, but the evidence of his presence surrounded me. I experienced the beauty of what God called into existence. I was accompanied by a grandpuppy who never let me out of his sight. Evidence of God’s presence was near.

Yet, more importantly, God’s presence has been made known to us in the Bible through Jesus. His footprints are there for us to see; the footprints that walked a hill, bore a cross, and victoriously made the sabbath day’s journey to his ascension.

Though there are no plaster casts of Jesus’ footprints, they are real and they still speak to us of God’s presence. Just before his ascension, Jesus told his disciples that he would be with them always (Matthew 28:20). That promise was not only for them, but for the entire Christian community. It is a promise meant for you. Though you may not see his footprints, may you know that they are all around you.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado