He Was There All the Time

"The lies I believed

Were scales on my eyes

So I couldn't see

You were there all the time."

© 2025 Kim Gentry Music

These are lyrics to a new song I'm writing. I often write songs to work through issues I'm facing, and this song is no exception. I also figure that if I'm struggling with something, someone else probably is, too. If I can link arms and help others along their own faith journey, I want to do that.

I believe God is with us “all the time,” as the lyrics above say. However, it doesn’t always feel that way. Yes, we know we need to rely on God’s Word and not our fickle feelings. We've heard it from the pulpit a thousand times! But that doesn’t mean it isn't hard, and it doesn't mean feelings don’t matter.

Sometimes I feel utterly alone. When this feeling creeps in, I start to actually believe I’m all alone. The enemy then uses this little crack in my armor to amplify my negative thoughts and feelings. Just as a snowball gains size and momentum as it continues to roll, so do these thoughts and feelings. I start to feel like I’m sinking down into a dark hole. It’s in these moments that I cry out to the Lord. I say something like this, “Lord, help me! I need to feel your presence. I need to know I’m not alone. I need to know you are with me always. Help me fight through this loneliness and despair.” Psalms 145:18 says that “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” I stand on this promise and pray it!

Other verses I speak over myself during these times are Joshua 1:9 above and Matthew 28:20, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I also love Psalms 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

Through prayer and speaking God’s Word I slowly dig my way out, and during this process there always comes a moment when my head pops up out of the ground and I can see the Light again. I can even feel it. I can step back and see this scheme of the enemy for what it is: a baseless lie (as my new lyric declares). I can lean into faith again and know that God’s presence is with me always, and that He truly will be with me wherever I go, even when I don’t feel it. In fact, He was there all the time, and He always will be.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you relate to my sharing above and find that you also feel this way sometimes?

2. If so, when do you find yourself slipping into this pattern? For me, it’s usually when I try to do things in my own strength. I start feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. I forget to depend on the Lord for my strength, and then He begins to feel distant, and then darkness starts to creep in. I encourage you to really think about what causes you to feel like the Lord isn't there with you. I believe this recognition will help you in your spiritual battle like it has helped me in mine.

3. We don’t have to live in a state of despair and loneliness. We have the tools to fight back and the authority to do so! I've shared above the tools I utilize. What are your go-to scriptures and prayers for remembering that God is with you all the time?