Knowing God's Character: God is in the Room (Psalm 139:7-10)

What if the fire you’re facing could actually lead to greater freedom and deeper faith for your family?

In this episode of 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents, host Christen Clark shares a moving story from her own journey as a mom and encourages us to remember that God’s presence is with us even in the hardest parenting and family life moments. Discover how Christian parenting is shaped not just by easy days, but by trusting God in the “fire,” and get inspired to cultivate faith at home through meaningful discipleship and spiritual growth.

• [00:01:54] Psalm 139: God’s promise to never leave us, wherever we are
• [00:02:31] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Raising Christian kids with unshakable faith in tough times

Resources:

• Instagram: @7minutedevotions, @christenclark
• Family Podcast: @collidekidspodcast

Transcript

Christen Clark [00:00:02]:

Hello and welcome to 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents. I'm Christen Clark. I'm a work from home mom, I'm a ministry leader, I'm a podcast host, and I know what it's like to be a busy parent. If you've ever listened to my other show, the Collide Kids Podcast, you know that I love helping families grow in faith together through fun, meaningful conversations. So this short devotional that I put out twice a week is just one more way to help you stay encouraged and connected to God in the middle of your busy the everyday life. So let's dive in. Have you ever felt completely alone? I'm not talking about the kind of alone where you get like five minutes of quiet after the kids go to bed, finally. I mean the kind of alone where you're sitting in a hard moment and no one else can truly understand how it feels.

Christen Clark [00:00:53]:

The kind of alone where your prayers seem to echo back in silence. I've felt that kind of loneliness before. Many times, in fact, it's when my son was born. He had a heart defect and we spent weeks in the hospital as he was recovering from surgery. Those were some of the most helpless days of my life. I remember sitting in that NICU and listening to the sounds of machines and monitors, not only of my baby, but of the children around me who were also going through a very difficult health situation and feeling the weight of fear pressing on my chest. But in that moment, I also remember an unexplainable peace. God was there not because the situation was easy, it wasn't.

Christen Clark [00:01:35]:

But because his presence never left us. He was there in the kindness of the nurses, in the strength of the prayers of so many people that were supporting us, and the comfort that filled my heart when I had no words left to say. What I want to remind you of today is that God is in the room, even if you can't feel it. I love the passage Psalm 139 because there's so much good stuff in there. But let's focus today on verses 7 through 10. It says, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Christen Clark [00:02:21]:

There is no place we can go where God is not already there. That truth is powerfully illustrated in one of my favorite stories in the old Testament. It's from Daniel 3, and it's about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three young men refused to bow down and worship this giant golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had built. Their loyalty to God and their faith was unshakable. Even when the king threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace, they boldly declared, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us, but even if he does not, we will still not serve your gods. That is incredible faith. And yet God didn't stop them from being thrown into the fire.

Christen Clark [00:03:06]:

He allowed them to face it, but he did not allow them to face it alone. When the king looked into the furnace, he saw not three, but four men walking around in the flames completely unharmed. The fourth figure, many believe was a theophany, which is a theological word that means a visible appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament. Isn't that amazing? Even before Jesus was born on the earth, he was already showing up to walk with his people in the fire. And here's my favorite part. When they came out of the furnace, not a single hair was singed, and their clothes were untouched. The Bible says they didn't even smell like smoke. The only thing that burned up were the ropes that had tied them down.

Christen Clark [00:03:54]:

That is significant, because sometimes the very thing that feels like it's going to destroy us, the hardship, the trial, the pain, that is the thing that God is using to set us free. God used the very fire that was meant to destroy them to break their chains. And maybe that's what God is doing in your life, too. He might not remove the fire, but he will walk you through it. And what's left on the other side is freedom, strength, and a deeper faith than you have ever known before. God doesn't promise us an easy path. He promises his presence. He's in the room, and his presence changes everything.

Christen Clark [00:04:36]:

Take a moment to think about this. Where in your life do you feel like you're standing in the fire right now? Maybe it's in your parenting. Your child is struggling, or you're exhausted and you don't know what to do next. Maybe it's in a relationship or a job or a personal battle that just feels too heavy to carry. Whatever it is, remember this truth. God is in the room. He may not take away the struggle. He may not remove the fire from you when, but he will stand beside you through every moment of it.

Christen Clark [00:05:07]:

I'd like for you to just pause for a few seconds to take a deep breath and thank him for being with you right now where you are. Let's pray. God, I thank you so much that you never leave us, you never forsake us. Thank you that no matter how hard the situation is, how hot the fire feels, we know that you are always right beside us. God, I pray that you would give us the courage to trust you in the middle of the hardest seasons that we're facing and give us the faith to know that you can bring us freedom through that. Remind us that your presence is not far away. You are right here with us. You are in the room.

Christen Clark [00:05:54]:

Give us peace in the middle of these hard things and help us to trust you and know that you are holding us fast. We love you and we thank you and we choose to follow you all the days of our lives, even when it's hard. In Jesus name, Amen. Well, thank you so much for listening to seven Minute Devotions for Busy Parents. Hey, if this episode encouraged you, would you take a moment to share it with a friend or maybe post the graphic on your social media? You can follow us on our social media, on Instagram, at Facebook, @7minutedevotions, and by sharing it, it helps more families hear the hope and peace found in God's Word. And they can get a little encouragement too. And if you'd like to give towards the show to help keep it running, you can do that through the link in the description. Until next time, remember, keep showing up.

Christen Clark [00:06:44]:

God is with you. He's in the room.