Monthly Archives: September 2020

God notices you – always

ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Image result for Jacob Ladder to Heaven“Behold, I am with you and will keep [careful watch over you and guard] you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this [promised] land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15 (AMPC) – Part of God’s promise to Jacob, when he left his father Isaac’s house.

“Behold, I am with you.”  I stepped out of the front door of my daughter’s house, noticing that her key chain had a heft mine did not. Cool air caressed my face, and I inhaled deeply, relishing the crispness of it, and hoping the chilly days of February would extend well into the springtime.

I climbed into my daughter’s SUV and put the my purse, thermos of water, and two napkins (which my grandsons would put in their laps to, somewhat, catch cracker crumbs from their after-school, on-the-road snack)  in the passenger seat, my usual weekday routine. As I backed up and drove down the neighborhood street under the oaks that nearly met overhead. I started repeating the phrases of Genesis 28:15, my current meditation verse.

“Father, that phrase ‘Behold, I am with you’, starts with ‘Behold’, which means to pay attention to something, to stop and take notice, like when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. You really want me to stop and realize You are with me, don’t You?”

Tears moistened my eyes. My throat tightened. “Thank You, Father that You know how I feel. You know I still feel so small and unimportant and so guilty sometimes that I wasted two years being so depressed and fearful. I am so, so grateful that You are healing the depression as You give me the strength to keep my mind on You and Your Word all day.

And to know, to have You say to my mind almost audibly through that verse, that You are right here with me in this car, that You are here with me in all my failures and fears, well, Father, it is more than I can understand but I thank You so much for letting me feel Your presence. Thank You, Father, thank You. If You are with me, everything will be okay. Help me remember that.”

Image result for free picture of street with brown trees and grass“I will keep watch over you with care.” I turned left on Stassney, then right on Manchaca, heading toward school, driving through streets surrounded by faded brown winter trees and grass and a low, gray sky above. Leaving the heater gave the air inside the car a pleasant, brisk bite.

“And the thought, Father, that You keep watch over me, why that is a military term, isn’t it? You want me to think of You like a soldier standing guard through the night and the day, purposefully focused on keeping that which he is guarding safe from all harm. And You say you keep watch over me with care, which means diligently, paying attention to each detail. And it is You, You, Lord, Who made and sustains the entire universe, You are the One who is keeping watch over every detail of my days, every day. That is just too wonderful for me to understand, Lord.”

“I will take notice of you wherever you may go.” The familiar road dipped down then up then turned left in a slow arc as I drove by offices and stores. Excitement and pleasure built, as it always did, when I was about to see my grandsons.

Image result for free picture of parent and child in woods“Lord, there is something about that phrase “take notice of you.” I know it means to pay special attention to, or to be interested in, and the dictionary said it means ‘to observe with special attention.” Father, the picture that comes to mind each time with that phrase is of a parent noticing the tiny things her child is doing and how much that little child wants the parent to notice them, to pay attention to them, to help build a block tower or to take a walk in the park to find roly-polies and pine cones.

I guess that’s why that phrase means so much to me, Lord. You know the hurts of the past that You are still healing. You know I felt unnoticed and unimportant growing up. I did not feel loved, even though I was. And You know how the enemy has used those same lies for all my life to torment me, to steal good things from my life and to get me depressed and discouraged so often through the years.

Thank You, Father, that Your Word, Your truth, is changing my heart at the root level as I keep thinking about Your truths, over and over a hundred times a day even with the same truth, like now, that You, You, Lord up in heaven, are noticing me, right now, this very moment. And that what I am doing—this ordinary, mundane thing—is precious in Your sight. You are noticing how I have prepared the little snack the boys love, You notice how I love the cool weather You’ve given, You notice that I am trying to memorize Your Word, You notice that I am trying with all my heart to please You and do what You want all day long.

Image result for free picture of daytime skyYou notice me, Lord! Help me never take that for granted.  You notice when I feel I have failed, and the truth of Your wonderful Word tells me that Your love for me is as high as the heavens are above the earth, that Your love has separated my sins—and that includes my failures—as far as the east is from the west. Your Word tells me that You do all that because You love me and have compassion on me like a father loves and pities his children, and that You have imprinted on Your heart that I am just dust, a frail human being.  Thank you, Father, for those comforting truths in Psalm 103.

Thank You, Father, thank You. To know that You notice each thing I do, that You observe me with special attention is comforting. It gives me strength to keep going and to trust that You will continue the healing.”

“. . . and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done all of which I told you.”  I parked on the street bordering the school, along with other parents and grandparents, then walked up the sloping hill to the school entrance, slowly to avoid getting too short of breath. Sitting on the bench encircling a grandfather oak, waiting for the bell, I saw Ansel, head swiveling as he walked out, third behind his teacher. He broke out of line, said something to her, then, as she saw me, she nodded to him, bumped fists, and he ran toward me, backpack wobbling from side to side, his face lit up.

Image result for free picture of child leaving school“Nana!”, he yelled. “I knew you were coming!”

We waited on Ben’s class, then the three of us walked to the car. As we drove home, I listened to their brotherly chatter in the back seat. I also listened to what Holy Spirit whispered in my heart as I repeated the last phrase of Genesis 28:15-16.

“Thank You, Lord.” I silently prayed as Ansel asked Ben if he had seen the new swings on the playground,  “Thank You that I know You will finish the good work of healing You have started in me. Thank You that I know You will be with me every moment, just as You are right now.”

A personal request

Dear, dear reader, I wish I could adequately explain what a difference keeping God’s Word in my mind has made for me. The scene described above happened many months ago, when I had just  started the habit of studying the Word of God, diligently, in my areas of personal need and meditating upon and memorizing the verses Holy Spirit showed me. During the months of doing that, God healed deep depression and fear. Counseling and medicine had helped, but life remained a daily misery until God’s Word began its healing work.

And the healing came, hour by hour, day by day, week upon week, as I kept studying and meditating all day long on God’s truths about peace and His loving provision and other healing truths. The truth of God did its work as I drove to work, got groceries, spent time with my family, and most of all when I was home, alone with God, facing the struggle of reclaiming the happy and productive life depression had stolen for two years.

God’s Word will heal your life. Your problem may not be depression and anxiety, but whatever it is, God’s Word will heal your heart and your life. I beg you to start the habit of constant, all-day and night meditation upon verses from the Bible that address your needs.

Usually, a piece of writing seems to end itself. But I only know how to end this one by pleading, once again: Please make getting God’s Word into your heart a daily priority.  God’s Word will make your heart whole and sound. God’s Words truly are “ . . . life to those that find them, healing and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:22, AMPC.

The next blog post, “The Arsenal of God’s Word” will give a list of Scriptures that will lead you toward peace and explain more about how the Word works in your heart.

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“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” (Philemon 25)

 

 

God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Eight

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.
  • Part Four –  We sometimes see God’s face and sometimes not because God is sovereign. He initiates our awareness of His presence, He responds to our reaching out, and He withdraws temporarily. There are also hindrances to His presence over which we have some control.
  • Part Five: Hindrances to God’s presence include disobedience, lack of love, our physical condition, and our soul’s condition, our spiritual condition, lack of experience or knowledge, hidden sin, and lies from the enemy.
  • Part Six: The enemy attacks our minds with vicious lies, trying to keep us from being aware of God’s presence.
  • Part Seven: What to do if you do not feel His presence or never have.

In this last part of the series “God Promises His Presence IF. . . “, we see why we must never give up.

PART EIGHT:  DO NOT GIVE UP!

  • Rely on God, and do not turn to the world. God answers us when we rely on Him. (2 Chronicles 14:11).
  • “God is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2b, NIV)
  • God is always looking out for us, to strengthen us.
  • We win our battles when we rely on the Lord because it is the Lord Who does the fighting, not us.

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Rely on God, and do not turn to the world. God answers us when we rely on Him. (2 Chronicles 14:11).  In 2 Chronicles 14, King Asa “did what was right and good in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 14:2). He began removing idol worship and commanded his people to seek God. “God gave him rest” during those years (v. 6). After Asa had built up his kingdom, the Cushites, the fiercest army on earth at the time, attacked. But Asa prayed,

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“LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.” (v. 11, NIV).

Asa won a mighty victory over the Cushite army that day. Why? Because he relied on God.

“God is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”  (2 Chronicles 15:2b, NIV). In 2 Chronicles 15, as King Asa and his army were returning to Jerusalem after the mighty victory described in Chapter 14, the prophet Azariah went out to meet him. Azariah told Asa and all his kingdom that:

“The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”

The prophet reminded Asa that, in previous times, the whole world was in turmoil because they had rejected God. He said that if Asa would be strong and not give up, his work would be rewarded (v. 7).  Asa was encouraged and continued his work of removing idol worship that he had begun before the Cushites attacked. And Asa had peace for many years.

Although our world is in turmoil, if we, like Asa, remember the battles God has already won for us as we relied on him, if we remember that God is with us when we are with Him, we can draw on His strength to finish the work God has for us.

See the source imageGod is always ready to give us His strength when we are weak and need encouraging. He says that very thing in 2 Chronicles 16. God is always looking out for us, to strengthen us. 2 Chronicles 16:9, tells us  “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth, to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (NIV)

Sadly, this same King Asa, who was so encouraged in Chapter 15 by hearing that “The Lord is with you while you are with Him”, this same king who carried out a major reform of his entire kingdom, this same king who was clearly warned not to forsake God or God would forsake him– this same King did indeed forsake God. In Chapter 16, after many, many years of peace, when King Asa’s city was besieged, Asa bought help, with treasures from the Lord’s temple no less, from another king.

But because Asa relied on another king for help rather than God, this time he did not have victory. Then a different prophet, Hanani, reminded King Asa that, in the previous battle years ago, God had delivered the mighty Cushite army into Asa’s hand because Asa had relied on the Lord. Hanani said that though the Cushite army was mighty, “Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand.” (V. 8). Why? Hanani tells King Asa:

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen the hearts of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

Image result for free picture of parent and child and training wheelsThat reassures us that any time we begin to lose heart and become discouraged, we can count on God to steady us and give us what we need to move forward. I like to think of that as the way a parent walks right beside a child who is just learning to ride without training wheels.  The parent hovers as the child pedals along, and holds his hands on either side, ready to instantly catch and set the child upright should there be a wild wobble.

Then Hanani continued speaking to King Asa. “You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

God is clearly teaching us that we win our battles when we rely on the Lord because it is the Lord Who does the fighting, not us. He gives us His strength when we need it because He is always looking out over the entire world, every moment, for His children who need His strength. He wants us to know that because it encourages us.

God sees every single person on earth whose heart is fully committed to Him. God watches us every moment, He knows when we are struggling, for whatever reason, and He will deliver us.

When I too, like Asa, get discouraged and fearful because l am besieged by real problems, unable to have what I need, including my usual supply of God’s presence and peace just as King Asa could not get supplies for his kingdom when he was under siege, I can seek help from God, who never, never, never fails me. And I can wait, with confidence, knowing that He will again give me the peace that comes from awareness of His presence. If I spend my efforts trying worldly methods to find peace, as Asa spent his wealth trying to buy help from worldly kings, I will fail and be at war. If I seek relief through entertainment, food, other people, drugs, or whatever, peace will elude me. But, if I put my trust in God, if I trust Him and obey. . .

WHILE YOU WAIT ON HIM . . . TAKE COURAGE!

Stay Strong in the FaithAll of us are being challenged lately, in many ways, to stand strong in faith. This is an excellent time to strengthen our ability to walk closely with God and to be aware of His presence. If awareness of His presence is new to you, be patient. Give your relationship time to grow and while it is growing, be assured that God is pleased with your reaching out to Him. So . . .

  • Remember He never leaves you for one moment. (Deuteronomy 31:8; Isaiah 41:10-13)
  • Remember that being desperate for God is a good thing. God tells us to desperately seek Him. In Psalm 27:8 David says to God, “You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need].”
  • Remember God loves to be with us. Recall Eden. It gives Him pleasure to be with us, and we were created for the purpose of glorifying God and giving Him pleasure (Isaiah 43:7 and Revelations 4:11)
  • Remember He is longing, passionately, to let you lean on Him and his strength, like a tired wife leans on her loving husband or a child leans on his trusted father. (Isaiah 30:18)
  • Remember always to revere, respect and appreciate God’s presence and who He is but also remember He wants close fellowship with us. Although we are to stand in awe of God, God also wants us to be affectionate with Him. The book of Psalms, in the Amplified version, includes eighteen passages that say we are to “bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord”. And Jesus says when we observe the Lord’s supper “to call Me [affectionately to remembrance] (I Corinthians 11:24-25, AMPC).  We can approach God like the perfect Father He is, all-powerful but full of compassion and mercy and love for us, His dearly beloved and cherished children.

See the source imageAnd I say, again, because it is important: Although we are to stand in awe of God, God also wants us to be affectionate with Him. We are His dearly beloved and cherished children. If a human father treasures the affection of his children, how much more deeply must our love touch our Heavenly Father?

FINALLY, WAIT WITH CONFIDENT EXPECTANCY!

Waiting with expectation is the key to peace and victorious living.  Remember that in Psalm 27 David talks about the importance of seeking God. The last verse, verse 14 encourages us: “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!” We can have confidence that God will deliver us and if we wait for Him with expectancy, we will maintain our peace and walk in His ways as we wait. That will make our lives a light to others!

Your deliverer is coming!  I wish I had remembered to listen to the song “My Deliverer is Coming!” by Rich Mullins during the first part of writing this little book. While I was studying the topic and struggling to perceive God’s presence, the spirit of hope in this song would have helped.

I urge you to look up and read the lyrics over thoughtfully, then listen to the song. You can find the lyrics  and several videos on God Tube as well as You Tube by using your web browser.  The anointing on some songs truly goes beyond words. This is one of those heavily anointed songs. It will give you the shivers. It will give you courage. And, it will make you take a deep breath, squint your eyes, clench your fists, raise your hands toward heaven  and say “Yes, Lord! Whatever it takes!”

Friend and fellow pilgrim, whatever you face in your life, God WILL answer and you will feel His peace. Wait, I say again, “Wait for, hope for and expect the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14, NIV) Our Deliverer is coming! Hallelujah! All glory and honor and praise be unto our King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Think of it! One day soon we will be part of that great multitude described in Revelations 7. We will fall facedown before the throne and worship God, saying:

“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelations 7:12, NIV)

 

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God Promises His presence IF . . . Part Seven

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.
  • Part Four –  We sometimes see God’s face and sometimes not because God is sovereign. He initiates our awareness of His presence, He responds to our reaching out, and He withdraws temporarily. There are also hindrances to His presence over which we have some control.
  • Part Five: Hindrances to God’s presence include disobedience, lack of love, our physical condition, and our soul’s condition, our spiritual condition, lack of experience or knowledge, hidden sin, and lies from the enemy.
  • Part Six: The enemy attacks our minds with vicious lies, trying to keep us from being aware of God’s presence

PART SEVEN: IF YOU DO NOT FEEL HIS PRESENCE NOW OR NEVER HAVE

Image result for free picture of someone behind youGod is with you, whether or not you feel His presence. When I searched the web for free pictures of “someone behind you” I chose this picture. Why? It is cute and light-hearted and I know God wants us to have a joy-filled relationship with Him. To everything there is indeed a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and that includes times for joy and, yes, silliness. I wanted to remind you, and me, that although we are exploring a serious subject, it is also a most happy one.

I urge you, if you have lost the feeling of being connected to God, or if you never have been consciously aware of Him, to persevere in seeking Him. I especially want to remind you that God is always with you, no matter if you are aware of Him or not. I also especially want to encourage you that in seeking His face, you are doing a wonderful thing! Resist any self-critical thoughts that might try to take root in your mind about this matter of seeking God’s face. God is not mad at you in bringing this to your attention. He is longing to bless you even more than He has already! His intentions toward us are always, always, always loving and kind. And He is not only watching over us, like that cute kitten, He lives in us if we love and obey His commands (John 14:15-21).

Remind yourself that God never fails and God never fails YOU. In Hebrews 13:5, God reassures us that He will never fail us. After telling us not to crave earthly possessions but to be satisfied with what we have we hear:

“He [God] Himself has said, ‘I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax my hold on you) [Assuredly not!] (AMPC)

Notice that this promise covers every situation and circumstance. Notice the superlative language: in any way, in any degree. Notice that God repeats three times “I will not, I will not, I will not . . . “ Then He adds even more emphasis with “Assuredly not!”  Friend, He will surely help us in this matter of seeking His face!

Image result for free picture of hide and seekRemind yourself that He promises we can find Him. God is not playing hide and seek with us. In Deuteronomy 4, God reassures His people and tells them that even after they have been worshipping idols and have been taken captive that “if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV).  This comforting promise tells me that even if I have put something before God, which is idolatry, if I seek Him with all my heart and all my soul, I will find Him.

Ask and be persistent.  When Jesus taught His disciples about prayer He 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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10, NIV)

Do not be afraid of spiritual things and of going deeper with God. Unfortunately, Satan uses fear to keep some of us from pursuing a closer closeness with God. Spiritual things can indeed seem frightening. We cannot see God and we cannot see Satan, and Satan has saturated our culture with lies about the unseen world and terrifying visual images of what might be around us but invisible to us. He also leads some people who claim to be influenced by God to behave in weird and eerie ways. Is it any wonder some of us are afraid to just sit alone with God and talk with Him? Is it any wonder some of us are afraid that doing so might open a door to something evil?

Parents Give Children GiftsGod knows our hearts. He understands our fear and does not condemn us for it. And He knows that truth sets us free and removes fear.  So He reassures us that if we seek Him, we will find Him, not something bad. After Jesus instructs us to ask, seek, and knock because we will receive, we will find, and the door will be opened to us (Luke 11:9-10), He says:

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (NIV)

Ask Holy Spirit to search your heart and show you if you have sinned in some way or if there is something He has told you to do that you have not done. It might seem a “little sin” or some little thing to do or stop doing, but if God told you, it is important. Recently, God showed me I needed to be more systematic in the Bible passages I meditate on each day. I could not feel His presence until I began doing that.

Remember that sin causes God to turn His face way from us (Isaiah 59:2). One of the many things Holy Spirit does is to convict us (John 16:8) but He does so without condemnation (Romans 8:1). The enemy criticizes, belittles, and ridicules. God is gentle with us. Notice how He pleads with us in Isaiah 1:18

“Come now. Let us reason together’, says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool”.

That is a gentle, loving offer! God wants us to talk together with Him, and He promises to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, of course – to rid us of sin, of the places in our lives where we miss the mark. God is pleased when we try to draw closer to Him, and He helps us do that. Holy Spirit teaches us (John 14:26), and He gives us wisdom. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6, NIV).

Image result for free picture of father and childrenGod speaks to each of us in different ways so do not expect your experience to be identical to that of anyone else. If you have been blessed to observe and interact with children, you know some are loud and rowdy, always seeking attention whereas others prefer more peaceful activities, out of the spotlight.  God understands absolutely each detail about everyone of His many, many children.  (Do we need to remind ourselves again that He knows how many hairs are on our head?)

God will communicate with you in the way He knows is best for you. You may hear Him speak through a song when you start up your car. You may feel His love in the smile of a grocery store checker. He may blanket you in peace as you gaze at a sunset, a flower, a caterpillar, or your grandchild’s face.

God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5a, NIV) He tells you “even the very hairs of your head are numbered.” (Matthew 10:30, NIV). One reason He included Psalm 139 in the Bible, I believe, is to reassure our frail human hearts how intimately He knows us. Take time to read Psalm 139 now. Selah! Pause and calmly think about it!

I also urge you to make three things your daily habit:  Thank Him, talk with Him as often as you can remember, and meditate on the Word. These three habits are powerful helps to find God’s presence. For more details, read the blog post entitled “My Spiritual Emergency Kit.” These three habits greatly increase awareness of God’s presence in my daily life.

In Part Eight, the last part of this series, we will look at some Biblical reasons why we should never give up in pursuing God. The most reassuring reason for me is this:

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen the hearts of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NIV)

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God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Six

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.
  • Part Four –  We sometimes see God’s face and sometimes not because God is sovereign. He initiates our awareness of His presence, He responds to our reaching out, and He withdraws temporarily. There are also hindrances to His presence over which we have some control.
  • Part Five: Hindrances to God’s presence include disobedience, lack of love, our physical condition, and our soul’s condition, our spiritual condition, lack of experience or knowledge, hidden sin, and lies from the enemy.

PART SIX: LIES ABOUT GOD’S PRESENCE  THAT THE ENEMY USES

Satan “is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44, JNIV.) He is the enemy of God and of us, so of course he does not want us to have the blessings of God’s presence. So, he lies, wanting Image result for Free Picture Of poisonsus to believe some of the following poisons.

  • Awareness of God’s presence is reserved for a special few.
  • We are not worthy to be in God’s presence.
  • I do not have the personality to be quiet and still.
  • I do not have the time and place, etc. to seek God
  • Other attacks of the enemy.
  • Fear is the enemy’s biggest weapon.

Awareness of God’s presence is reserved for a special few, only for those who live an especially good life, like pastors, teachers, and “special” people.  Jesus says, “

Come unto me all (emphasis added) you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. ((Matthew 11:28-29, NIV). 

And when God says “whosoever” in John 3:16, He means any person.  Period.

We are not worthy to be in God’s presence. On the surface, this seems true because none of us humans could ever be good enough by our own works to be accepted by God. But the blessed truth is that when we trust God, our faith puts us in right standing with God (Romans 4:5).  Chapters Four through Eight of Romans explain this gift of right-standing, or righteousness, with God by faith, so that by grace, through faith, we may have it. These chapters are part of the believer’s foundation. Have you read them recently?

Image result for free picture of personalityI do not have the personality to be quiet and still long enough. I believe it is easier for those of us with quiet personalities to spend time alone with God and the Word. However, those of us with outgoing, very sociable personalities can also cultivate this habit. God does all things well, and He is fair. Each type of personality finds certain things difficult.  And as for being quiet and still long enough, that is different for each person.

If you are an extrovert who blossoms in the company of other people, the enemy would likely tell you that you must be quiet and still for hours. Not true! Try God and see. God gave you your personality, and He knows how to communicate with you in the way that is best for you.

I do not have the time and place, etc. to seek God. Although some may have to sacrifice greatly to carve out time for being alone with God, and some may not have the luxury of a quiet spot in their own home, God will make time and a place for those who sincerely seek to have devotional times with Him. If we ask God for something that is clearly His will, we can be sure He will provide it (I John 4:4-15).

Other attacks of the enemy. Some of trials we experience in this life are caused by the enemy of our souls. While we are here on earth, the enemy attacks us with sickness of body and mind, loss of loved ones, financial hardships, delays, obstacles, etc., etc.

But fear not!  Jesus tells us “In this world you will have troubles and trials, distress and frustration, but be of good cheer [take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you.]” (emphasis added) (John 17:33, AMPC).

The things of this world, including what the enemy does, cannot harm us in the long run. They may look bad, and be bad for a while, but God is sovereign! Psalm 115:3 tells us “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”. Furthermore “. . . we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). What the enemy intends for evil for us, God intends for good (Genesis 50:20)

The first and second chapters of the book of Job clearly shows us that God is sovereign. Satan has to get permission from God before he does anything to a child of God. Yes, that can be a hard concept to accept. However, as we “diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the LORD” (Psalm 107:43), we will “give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” (Psalm 130:8, 15, 21 and 31, NIV). Notice that the phrase “give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” is repeated in the same words four times in this Psalm, in verses 8, 15, 21 and 31.  Hmmm . . . God must  think it is important for me to remember that!

If we carefully, thoughtfully consider all the kind things God has done for mankind and our own lives, we cannot help but praise Him and give Him thanks. That leads to peace and also helps us choose to believe God when He says that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV)

Image result for free picture of earthAnd remember that Jesus has overcome the world and its troubles for us.  It is good to repeat again the verse where Jesus tells us why we can be of good cheer:

“In the world you will have tribulation, trials, distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain and undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (John 16:33, AMPC)

Fear is Satan’s biggest weapon.  Reread the previous section about the power and mercy of God. I John 4:4 reassures us that God, who is in us, is greater than Satan, who is in the world. Setting “our hearts on things above” (Colossians 3:1, NIV) and thinking on the “whatsoevers” in Philippians 4:8 will drive fear out.

It is good to study what God says about fear and to hear sound teaching on the subject, because it is the favorite tactic of Satan. I have heard many teachers say that fear is mentioned in the Bible 365 times. God obviously wants us to be on guard against fear. I studied many scriptures on fear because it was a huge problem for me. Along the way, I found that studying peace was a safeguard against fear. Think about that! Start with three verses about peace and hide them in your heart. The peace that comes from God’s truth will shield your mind the next time fear attacks.

Image result for free picture of peace

In Part Seven, we will talk about what to do if you have never consciously felt God’s presence or if you have not in a long time. Be blessed!

 

 

God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Five

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.
  • Part Four –  We sometimes see God’s face and sometimes not because God is sovereign. He initiates our awareness of His presence, He responds to our reaching out, and He withdraws temporarily. There are also hindrances to His presence over which we have some control.

PART FIVE: HINDRANCES TO AWARENESS OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Unfortunately, in our less than perfect world, many things can block us from being aware of God’s presence, even though He is right there with us. Here are a few we will consider.

  • Sin.
  • Our lack of love.
  • Our physical condition.
  • Our soul’s condition.
  • Our lack of experience or knowledge.
  • Pride must go.
  • Hidden sin we of which we are unaware.
  • Sometimes we just have to wait.
  • Lies from the enemy.  (Part Six)

Image result for Free Clip Art of SinSin.  When I reviewed the final draft of this blog post, it grieved me that I had first labelled this heading “Disobedience.” It is easier to think of ourselves as disobedient to God, rather than thinking what is true, that we sin against God. What a dangerous and damaging trend when “less offensive” or
“politically correct” vocabulary is used instead of the stern vocabulary of the Bible, which includes words like sin, iniquity, evil, guilt, and damnation. If God had wanted to use gentle words and thoughts when talking about sin, He would have used the tender, loving words He uses in, for example, Zephaniah 3:17 or Psalm 103:14. Sin is serious. It IS a matter of eternal life and death. God wants us to take it seriously. He came to earth and died for us because of our sin, as He says in John 3:16. I believe that God makes hearing about sin unpleasant to us so that we will pay attention and do all we can to avoid  it.

Isaiah 59:1-2 motivates me, mightily. It teaches me that sin separates me from God, hides His face from me, and stops His ears from hearing me. That motivates me to love God with all my heart and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Love includes obedience. In Chapters 56 through 59 of Isaiah, God is speaking about the horrific sins of Israel during those times, such as “. . . the profaning of the Sabbath, the gluttony of Israel’s leaders, its widespread idolatry with its vile practices, the punctilious fasting while practicing flagrant injustice”, (Halley’s Bible handbook, page 389). And He explains for us the consequences of sin. He says:

“Surely, the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear, BUT (emphasis added) your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59:2,NIV).“

Oh, Lord! Help us all to live a life pleasing to You!

Our lack of love. I had heard the story of the sinful woman who was so grateful for Jesus forgiving her many sins that she poured costly perfume on His feet and kissed and wiped his feet with her hair. (Luke 7:36-50).  When others criticized her extravagant display of love for Jesus, Jesus taught His listeners that people who have had a great debt paid for them, love greatly but that  “. . . he who has been forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke7 :47b, NIV).

In my opinion, one implication of that is that if we are aware of the immeasurable debt Jesus paid for us while we were yet sinners, if we remember what He suffered for each of us, we will have deep, passionate love and gratitude for Him.

Image result for free picture of woman kissing the feet of jesusThat love will be deep, whether we found Jesus at a young age or when older. I know people who were saved while still preschoolers who have a passionate love for Jesus. In my own case, because I did not accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior until the age of 29, I had experienced walking in darkness. I desperately wanted to stay in His light, and I was desperately grateful. I also fell desperately in love with Jesus. Like the sinful woman in Luke 7, I was keenly aware of how sinful my life had been.

Oh, Father! Help each of us remember the price Jesus paid and help us seek to love You accordingly!

One of the biggest blessings of writing is that it makes me really search the Scripture and seek God for understanding for myself. In seeking to understand this story about loving God, I noticed the cause and effect indicated in Verse 47a: “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for (emphasis added) she loved much.”  To me, this says that part of why our sins are forgiven is that we love God.  And just look at the promise Jesus gives her.

 “But Jesus said to the woman. Your faith has saved you; go (enter) into peace [in freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] (Emphasis added). (John 7:50, AMPC)

Image result for free clip art of healthy habisOur physical condition. Sometimes conditions of our body block our awareness of His presence. Poor health, mental and emotional stresses such as depression and anxiety, fatigue, grief, and loss all affect the body which affects the brain. It is much easier to be aware of God’s presence when I have adequate rest, follow a healthy diet, and reduce stress as much as possible. And God always helps when I try to take care of my earthly temple.

Our soul’s condition. Sometimes our soul is simply disturbed.  Distractions, some we can stop and some we cannot stop, steal our awareness of God’s presence. We cannot control the world, but we can ask God to help us reduce distractions in our life, so we can focus on Him better. Some things that steal my peace are a messy house and surroundings; when I am lazy or neglect to do what I know I should; and sloppiness in daily life, or not doing things with excellence.  I can see that each of these is disobedience. God does things orderly (I Corinthians 14:33—He is a God of peace, not confusion);  He tells us to do our work (Ephesians 4:28), and He says do whatever we are doing as if we were doing it for Him (Ecclesiastes 9:10, and Colossians 3:23).

What things in particular disturb your soul that you can ask God to help you change?

Image result for free picture of child with hurt kneeOur spiritual condition.  If a spiritual matter is blocking our awareness of God, it is essential to get quiet and alone with Him so that we can hear Him and so that He can show us our spiritual condition. If we stay busy, even if we are desperately searching for Him the best we can, we might not hear Him until we find a measure of His peace. In that peace, we can hear Him. We can be like a small child crying and screaming over a scraped knee, when all we need to do is calm down and let God take care of us. He tells us “Seek peace and pursue it.” (I Peter 3:10-12; Psalm 34:12-16).

I am learning that anger in particular blocks my awareness of God’s presence. And my anger is so often childish. When I calm down and take a realistic, adult view of the situation, I usually can see my wrong thinking or else, if need be, can express my upsetting feelings to God, ask for forgiveness if needed, and accept His love and His help to be at peace again.

In what ways are you consciously pursuing peace?
Do you regularly take time to just sit in silence with God?

Our lack of experience or knowledge. I clearly remember as a young believer craving the steady peace and victorious living I saw in older saints. So, I read and obeyed what I learned about God’s presence. It took a while but, it has been worth each moment a thousand times over. Unfortunately, the enemy tries to steal this blessing, because that is his nature (John 10:10) and he sometimes does that by shooting arrows, or fiery darts–lies. (Ephesians 6:16) The enemy does not want us to be aware of God’s presence. (Part Five addresses that important topic).

Image result for free clip art of god hates pridePride must go!  Satan so often works through our pride. I think that might be because he knows that James 4:6b tells us clearly: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (NIV) Proverbs 6:16-19 lists things God hates; at the top of the list is a proud or haughty attitude. We do well to ask God to reveal pride in our hearts.

Hidden sin we are unaware of – a personal example. I had a personal  struggle for several days – with pride unbeknownst!  Funny, I began this blog post 29 days ago, feeling upbeat and confident about finding the Lord’s presence. Since then, I felt up and down emotionally for several days, sometimes sensing His presence, but more often not. And day by day, I became more discouraged in general than I had been in a long while.

I thought I could finish this writing in two days, but as the days stretched on, every time I sat at my desk, I felt worse and worse, miserable that I was not feeling God’s presence, like I usually do when I write. And the more I focused on that, the less I felt His presence – AND – the more out of balance the rest of daily life became, especially in the areas that disturb my peace the most – a messy house and not keeping on top of things.

Therein, I think, is an essential lesson. We are to seek God, not feelings, just as we are to live by faith, not by feelings. Day by day, as I was writing about this topic, my foot got caught in the snare of going by feelings, and I became frustrated because I could not feel His presence like and when I wanted.  It is good to want to feel His presence– of course But, if you analyze it too much or overthink it, AND if you think you SHOULD be able to feel Him, AND/OR  if you subconsciously think that you deserve to feel His presence because you have in the past and you are doing so many good things for Him and being so good—you find less and less. At least I did.

Thankfully, as I trusted God, He released my foot from that particular snare (Psalm 91:3). When I got to the end of my emotional rope, I gave up, had a good cry with the Lord, and just asked God for His help to restore my soul (Psalm 23:2). Only then did I see how my pride, as described above, had hidden His face (Isaiah 59:2). I confessed my pride and asked God to cleanse that.

As I write this, I can only say “Thank You, Lord!”  for continually cleaning and pruning us. Our own hearts deceive us because they are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Only God can clean us up. While I was in fact being prideful, I did not think I was. Also, I did not realize I was feeling entitled. Surprise! We are in grave danger when we think we are doing fine (I Corinthians 10:12). Only God knows what is really inside our human hearts.

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10, NIV

Confession is, indeed, good for the soul. As I sit here now, writing, nothing external in my world has changed but it all looks okay again because I am focused on God, trusting in Him, not myself, and doing my work of writing for Him. When we trust Him and do good–whether that “good”  is our own particular work for Him or the business of a daily life that reveals God to unbelievers (I Peter 2:12) –then we can “dwell in the land and enjoy safe pastures.” (Psalm 37:3, NIV).  And truly we are then fed and well fed!

Image result for Free Picture of Child WaitingSometimes we just have to wait. Lamentations 3:1-20 talks of the trials Jeremiah has endured, even to the point that he said “Perished is my strength and my expectation from the Lord.” (v. 18, AMPC). However, when Jeremiah changes his focus in verse 21 he says,

“But this I recall, therefore have I hope and expectation: It is of the Lord’s mercies and loving-kindnesses that we are not consumed, because His (tender) mercies fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness” (v. 21-23)

In verses 24-25, Jeremiah then sets his mind to wait and hope for the Lord.  Verses 24-25 give great comfort and strength while we wait. The NIV phrases it this way: “I will say to myself ‘the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  The rest of Lamentations 3 explains why it is good to hope quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Read it and see for yourself!

So, in times when we do not feel God’s presence or His peace, we can bring to mind that it is because of His great love that we are not consumed. Then, like Jeremiah, we can wait for Him with confident expectancy because we know “the LORD is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness throughout all generations (Psalm 100:5, NIV)

Image result for Free clipart of God's QualitiesWe can wait for God with confident expectancy because we understand His nature.   

 

 

 

 

 

In Part Five, we will look at some of the flaming arrows (lies) the enemy uses to keep us from dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, and from resting in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91)