Saturday, March 28, 2009

THE LORD IS NEAR

The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:18 NLT
~~~~~~~

How are you doing today? Having a great day with a sense of the Lord’s nearness? Or have you had better days and today isn’t one of them?

Life can be a battle, with the enemy working on our minds, especially when we are tired and discouraged, telling us – “it will never get better - you won’t get out of this - there’s no hope - God doesn’t care for you.”

But just the opposite is true! Our Lord is close to praying people. God’s Word shows us that He is near to us no matter how we may feel. It says, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” Psalm 23:9 “For God has said I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5

The truth is our Lord is always close to us. It’s only when we pay attention to Satan’s whispered lies that doubts begin to fill our minds and God seems far away. We need to deliberately choose to trust His promises and “call on him in truth.” Praying “in truth” is praying in faith until the answer comes. The answer may come surprisingly soon or it may take a long time. The important point is that we keep on praying until we get the answer. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:5-10 The context deals with persistence in prayer until the answer comes.

So if today finds you feeling sorry for yourself – downhearted and God seems a million miles away – cry out to Him for help and focus on His promises rather than the negative stuff the enemy tells you. Remember – “The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”

Let’s Pray-
Father, if someone reading this today has fallen for the lies of the enemy – please grant them faith to claim your promises and come to know your nearness once again.
Amen

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you Iver for what you shared today. I have been working hard in changing some "big issues" in my life. At times I feel God is quiet. I do not sense His presence. These scriptures really encouraged me. I know God is near and has a plan and purpose for every area in our life.
Thanks again,
Lynda Arnold

Mark Bowman said...

Hi Iver, As always, your right on target! Dealing with long term, chronic health issues leaves me drained and discouraged. I need to be reminded of our Lord's promises and how close He is.
Mark Bowman