“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.” — Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV)
Spiritual Jet-Lag
The boxes are unpacked, the Wi-Fi is finally connected, and a strange silence has settled into your new space. It’s the quiet that comes after the chaos of moving, the kind that lets the unsettling thoughts creep in.
You listen to the unfamiliar sounds of the city outside your window – a different siren, a foreign language, a new rhythm of life – and a quiet, heavy question forms in your soul: Did I leave God behind?
It’s a thought we rarely say out loud. Of course, we know the “right” answer. God is everywhere. But our hearts often learn more slowly than our heads. Our faith is so deeply tied to place and people. We felt God in the walls of our home church, in the harmony of a familiar worship song, in the prayers of our grandparents.
And now, we are here. In this foreign land, where the altars are unfamiliar. It is easy to feel spiritually jet-lagged, as if our soul’s connection is still searching for a signal thousands of miles away.
No Passport Required
This is why the psalmist’s words are not just poetry; they are a lifeline for the diaspora. David asks a question that echoes in every migrant’s heart: “Where can I go from your Spirit?” And the answer rings through time and space: Nowhere.
Read those words again: “If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me.”
That is you. You have settled on the far side of the sea. The promise is not that God will one day find you, but that He is already there.
God did not need a passport to come with you. He didn’t have to pack a suitcase or go through customs. His presence wasn’t waiting on the other side of your journey; it was your escort through all of it. The same God who knew your name in your hometown knows your name in this new city. Your location has changed, but your Lord has not.
🛡️ The Diaspora Challenge
Action steps for your journey today.
- The Walk: Go for a 10-minute walk around your new neighbourhood.
- The Silence: Don’t listen to music or a podcast.
- The acknowledgment: With every step, whisper or think the simple phrase, “You are here.” Acknowledge God’s presence on the unfamiliar street corner, in the local park, and past your neighbours’ homes.
🙏 A Prayer for Presence
Father, I confess that my heart feels disoriented. I miss the familiar places where it was easy to feel You. Thank You for the truth that You are not contained by borders or buildings. Please open my spiritual eyes to see Your hand guiding me right here, right now. Help me to trust that the same love I knew “back home” is fully present with me here. Amen.
This is Day 1 of The Diaspora Devotional by Andrew Airahuobhor. [Get the full 30-Day Collection Here]