Are there times when God leaves me? Did God leave Jesus on the cross?

Joshua 1:9“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 28:20“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God does not come and go depending on his moods or circumstances. Knowing he is always with us can be a comfort in loneliness, a stimulus to obedience, a hedge against temptation, and a source of joy in his companionship.

Matthew 27:46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

2 Corinthians 5:20-21We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

While Jesus took on our sins on the cross, he experienced the Father’s rejection of the sin even as the payment for our sin was made. He felt that cost of his work on the cross deeply. Yet because of Jesus’ willingness to endure just such a separation from God, we never have to go through that experience.

Psalm 139:7-10I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Even when we think circumstances somehow drive God away, or when we think we want to get away from God, he is there. The sooner we break with our denial, the sooner we can deal with the things we may be trying to hide and the intimacy that threatens us. The promise of his presence holds the promise of our freedom.

Psalm 16:8, 11I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. . . . You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalm 23:6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

The pursuit of God’s presence that David described is more like the pursuit of a wake behind a boat. God’s goodness and unfailing love are on us, in us, and flowing through us every day of our lives.

Isaiah 43:2“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”

God’s presence is like the sure hand of a guide who steadies us on a steep and slippery trail. We walk confidently because we know we are not walking alone.

Isaiah 46:4“I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”

God’s presence lasts a lifetime and beyond. He created us, sustains us, and will one day welcome us into his eternal presence.