God Is Near

Adventure. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? For me, it's a positive image of trying something new or exploring a new place. The adventures I've taken have always been fun, even if at first I was a little hesitant to try it. 
Well each one of us is on this adventure called life. Sometimes it's fun and sometimes it's just downright hard. But it's not the final destination. The adventure is just part of the journey. Think of a plane ride. When you're on a plane, you cross a lot of land, maybe some ocean. You may have a small idea of where you're at during the flight, but you don't know specifically. And if you're crossing the ocean, there's definitely no landmarks to tell you where you are. All you know is that the plane keeps moving forward. That's similar to our life. The pilot is the Lord, and we might go on what we think are detours, but those detours just may be a part of his plan. We don't know exactly where we are at on our journey, but we know we're moving forward, headed for a better destination. Storms arise but take comfort. They only last for a season. How about drought and desert times? They too only last a little while, though they're hard to endure while stuck in the middle. But God stays faithful. He is with us.

Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
 A preacher noted in a chapel message recently that this verse contains 2 "I AM" statements, 2 "not" statements, and 3 "I will" statements. Consider them. 
Isaiah 41:13 says, "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." What a precious picture this is. God has a hold of your hand, he's not letting go, and he's walking with you in whatever you're going through.

I am: "I am with thee" and "I am thy God."

Not: "Fear thou not" and "be not dismayed."

I will: "I will strengthen thee," "I will help thee," and "I will uphold thee." 

Psalm 16:8 ~ "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."

Psalm 138:7 ~ "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."

These verses give such comfort that no matter what you go through, good or bad, God is there. I'll close with a song that's come to my mind, "When God is Near."

Make me know your presence Lord, the King of glory here,

You know each thought and action, hope, anxiety and fear,

How can I hide from Thee? Can darkness hide iniquity,

Oh, how can I unfaithful be, when you are very near to me. 

When God is near, all the world seems far away,

When God is near, every fear is set aside,

When God is near, how can I stray, how can I falter?

I'll stay upon the altar; I know my God is near. 

Make me know your presence Lord, when I feel so alone,

You know each trial and testing pain, the hurt that is unknown,

Oh why can I not see, your hand so firmly guiding me? 

Oh how can I untrusting be, when you are very near to me? 

When God is near, all the world seems far away, 

When God is near, every fear is set aside,

When God is near, how can I stray, how can I falter?

I'll stay upon the altar; I know my God is near. 

Dear friend, may you feel the presence of God so very near to you today. 

❤️Ashley 

*Picture taken by Deborah S.