Closer Than You Think
When something terrible happens and the world makes zero sense…
The Lord is still close.
Throughout Scripture, we see examples of this: God fights for the Israelites and rescues them from the Egyptians (Exodus 14:13-14). Joshua defeats powerful nations because God fights for him (Joshua 23:10). The Israelites are protected by God as they rebuild Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 4:20).
In Isaiah 54, God reminds the Israelites that He sees their pain, and He has compassion on their circumstances. At the time, the Israelites were in exile. But God promises that their suffering won’t last forever.
God does not abandon His people. Even when they endure intense hardship, God still ultimately shows up, and when they cry out to Him, He fights for them.
And the same God who fought for Israel fights for each of us. This doesn’t mean you won’t face hard things. But even when your mind races and your heart doubts, God is near. He offers you a peace that cannot fully be explained.
Right now, take a few moments to name anything that is crushing your spirit. Then, give yourself permission to sit in God’s presence for a few moments. Give Him all your concerns, and ask Him to show you how He has protected and provided for you.
Luke 9
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; and of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. And the ...
God Keeps His Promises
“'The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.”
Jeremiah 33:14 NIV
A lot of people would have laughed at Jeremiah when he said these words. Why? Because it seemed like God had abandoned both Israel and Judah.
At this point in the story of the Bible, Israel is gone—wiped out by an invading army. Now Judah is alone, and another massive army is at their gates to destroy them too. The situation couldn’t have been more hopeless.
Have you ever experienced a moment like that? Maybe it was a life-changing loss, or impossibly difficult news. In those painful moments, it can feel impossible to trust God’s promises. The people listening to Jeremiah probably felt the same way. But it wasn’t the end of their story because circumstances can’t ruin God’s promises.
Yes, the enemy broke in and took God’s people into captivity for decades. But God didn’t abandon His people or give up on...