A few years back I found myself completely alone, living in a five bedroom house. My teenager had become a legal adult. And she had ‘lit’ out of there like she had long, tall wooden matches affixed to her back and on fire. The emptiness expanded and I was sure I was alone, minus GOD and people. Fear is such a pervasive thing. A malicious lie of the enemy.

I decided my entire home would begin to praise and honor GOD. So I put a radio in the basement of my home and the empty places upstairs. They ran on the same station, K-Love, in the background and 24/7. Soon my home took on cohesiveness in its environment. Praise and thanksgiving followed me throughout my home. Joy began to replace fear.

I can not remember when the anxiety left me. Nor when I turned off the non-stop praise. I can tell you that the presence of the Lord remains a reality in my home.

Doubt is a reoccurring enemy sometimes. Not because I don’t have evidence of GOD’s existence but I need to return to vigilant praise and thanksgiving. It often feels like a bane being in these bodies. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is completely reliable. But that temporal-ness is okay in our fallen world. It is what the effect of sin has given us all. When I remember to bless the name of the Lord, despite my feelings, it is my roar of victory. It is my way of standing against the lies sometimes my own mind seems to speak.

When the cloud lifts, I am always amazed that I stand surrounded by the loving hand of an ever-present GOD. I pray that helps you stubbornly return to the persistent presence of GOD that is always there for you. Feelings are shift-able, but GOD is not. GOD is everywhere. `