The Lord Is Near

God is so kind to speak through His living Word … to encourage weary hearts with truth and grace in times of need.

I have been wrestling with frustration, fear, and anxiety over my health and broken relationships. I quickly spiral down into a dark pit of rejection and hopelessness whenever I get sick or feel rejected.

Today’s Bible reading in Philippians 4:

The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. 

 

And the God of peace will be with you.”

(v5-9)

Much of the Christian life comes down to the mind. What I choose to meditate on matters. What do I meditate on in times of doubt, affliction, or rejection?

Entry from, A Painful Past: Healing and Moving Forward:

Lamenting: Nearly all the laments move from the negative to positive, from sorrow to joy, and from fear to trust. A lament includes three critical movements: crying out to God, asking for help, and responding in trust and praise.

Reflecting back on Philippians 4 … “The Lord is near.” God is the only One who is always near. True peace is only found in the nearness and goodness of God. He transcends all the darkness with His unrelenting grace. His vats of peace flood dusty, deficient hearts.

Psalm 13:1-3:

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God.

From A Painful Past:

[Psalm 13] is a picture of honest grief and we can share that grief with Him even if it is not tidy or theologically correct. Psalm 13 gives us space to cry, to be confused, and to pose hard questions to God … We must cry out to God. It’s the journey our soul must take. It’s the journey of healing.

The Lord is near. In faithfulness and trustworthiness, He is always near to hear our cries (Proverbs 9:29). He delights in our prayers (Proverbs 9:8). He loves those who pursue Him (Proverbs 9:9) – those who seek His face and counsel.

 

Today's devotional was on HOPE. Paul Tripp says the following:

Most of our hopes disappoint us. We all do it. We place our hope in things in this fallen world that simply can’t deliver. Your spouse can’t make you happy. Your job won’t make you content. Your possessions can’t satisfy your heart. Your physical health won’t give you inner peace. Your friends can’t give you meaning and purpose. When our hopes disappoint us, it is a sign that we’ve put our hopes in the wrong things … Hope in God is sure hope. When your hope in the Lord, you not only hope in the One who created and controls the universe, but also in One who is glorious in grace and abounding in love.

My hope is in the Lord! He is a God who is near. He is a God who delights to hear my prayers – the cries and the praises. I can trust Him with the jumbled-up mess that weighs so heavy on my heart. He does not call me to hope in things that will hurt or disappoint. He calls me to rest in His unchanging love and abiding grace. And as I hope in Him, He will cause my heart to move from fear to joy, from sorrow to trust! Hallelujah!

Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

Here's my heart
Oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

O great Fount of every blessing, tether my heart to Your unshakeable love. I am prone to wander … prone to fear, doubt, and despair. Help me to rest in Your encompassing peace - in Your nearness.

I hope in You, O Lord.