The Lord is Near

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 If you know me at all, you probably know how much I dislike crying. . . even in front of myself.


But lately, I have shed many tears. They are not tears of sadness, so I don’t mind them. They are tears of gratitude. Each drop is an offering of praise to a God who is good in every circumstance, though it is often difficult to see.


Life isn't always what we hoped it would be. However, I believe if we look, if we open our eyes, we will see God in all the details.


He is good all the time. 


There is so much wrong in the world. The News makes sure we know that. But you know what? This is nothing new.


“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9


That brings me comfort. Remember that God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. None of this is unknown to Him. None of it is bigger than He is.


He wins.


“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:4‬ 


I know life can be scary, but there’s no reason for us to fear. The Lord tells us 365 times in His Word, in various ways, not to fear. The fact that He says it so much, means He’s got it handled. We can trust Him. 


I know what they said on the News, but the News is designed to scare us and keep us caught up in a fear loop so we’ll keep going back, looking for them to tell us something to make us feel better. 


We won’t find it there.


The Good News—the best news is found in God’s word. There you will find peace and hope and joy regardless of what’s going on around you. 


Seek Him. The Lord is revealing Himself every day.


Every single day, I see He’s making Himself known. I am in awe. Though nothing is new to Him, His mercies are new to us every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). 


“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

Be encouraged, my friends. The Lord is near.

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