From a Distance By Barbara Hill

Psalm 139:1-6

I remember as a child, the presence of God, healing me during many illnesses I suffered. I would cry out and suddenly feel peace and comfort. I didn’t think of my Lord looking down at me as the Psalm says, rather listening to me. David is very clear in this passage of Psalm 139: 1-6.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, And you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Please take a moment and really think about this passage. God is right there watching us. Our Lord is there in our waking and our sleeping, and there when we feel lost and when we are joyful. All we have to do is believe and trust completely.

To be honest with you, there were many times in my life, that I didn’t call on God to guide me and I made many mistakes. Yes, I learned from those mistakes and I’m sure God was chuckling. But my Emmaus walk changed all that past thinking and behavior. I reached the mountain top and saw my Savior so much clearer. Since then, there has been no doubt that God is with me and I continue to take comfort knowing my Lord is watching me.

The song, From A Distance, came to me when I read psalm 139. Judy Gold wrote that song in 1985. Bette Midler released a video of the song in 2014 which you can watch on You Tube.

The lyrics are: From a distance the world looks blue and green and the snow capped mountains white. From a distance the ocean meets the stream, and the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance there is harmony And it echos through the land It’s the voice of hope It’s the voice of peace It’s the voice of every man.

From a distance we all have enough And no one is in need And there are no guns, no bombs and no disease No hungry mouths to feed

From a distance we are instruments Marching in a common band Playing songs of hope Playing songs of peace They are the songs of every man

God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us from a distance. From a distance you look like my friend Even though we are at war From a distance I just can’t comprehend what all this fightings for From a distance there is harmony And it echoes through the land And it’s the hope of hopes It’s the love of loves It’s the heart of every man It’s the hope of hopes It’s the love of loves This is the song for every man

God is watching us God is watching us God is watching us from a distance

Powerful lyrics written 35 years ago still true today. Yes, God is watching us and we must open our hearts to our trusted Savior. 1 Samuel 16:7b says “ Men and women look at the face, but God looks at the heart “. Yes, brothers and sisters, God looks at our hearts and will never leave you.

I think of the astronauts circling earth In the space station and the beauty they see daily. NASA Astronaut Doug Hurley said this on NPR June 29, 2020.

“It’s tough to see the world kind of in a state it’s in right now from here. It’s different to see the challenge we are facing with the strife in the cities and with the pandemic. And then, by virtue of being able to look out the window, you see no borders up here. And that does resonate with you. And hopefully, that message can get back down to Earth, that you know, we need to be able to work together for the common good and not work against each other and argue all the time over things that shouldn’t be argued about.”

Our Lord’s creation is awesome and there for us to share and care for. Take a moment to thank God for the wonderful world we live in and open your heart completely. You will be blessed.

There is a wonderful prayer in the Disciplines 2020 this week that I would like to close with.

Thank you God for never leaving me or letting go of me. I am never truly alone. Help me sense your guiding hand leading me forward, and help me to be eager to go with you. Amen

Your sister in Christ, Barbara Hill