Tag Archives: God’s nearness

Eternal Joy, God's Nearness

With-ness – Communion with God

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The Lord your God is in your midst,  a mighty one who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness;   He will quiet you by His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

As I prepare to write on our deck, our little shih apso rescue dog yelps from our porch to join me. On Good Friday, she was found roaming the streets. We picked her up for adoption the next day and named her Lily[1]. Lily longs to be with us every second of the day. Without us, she pines with compassionate longing.

Scripture confirms that God’s desire to be with us is even more intense than Lily’s. Us communing with God is a major theme in the Bible. He created us so that we could enjoy fellowship with Him and, by doing so, bring Him glory.[2] It brings Him great pleasure to share Himself with us. So much so that He was willing to send forth His only Son to die on a Roman cross to restore our fellowship, broken by our sin.[3]

Emmanuel, God with Us, came to earth in the form of a baby, to take our sins upon His back and die in our place. To those who believe in His name and receive Him, God gives the right to become His children.[4] He wants to be with us every second of every day.

Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23b ESV)

Not only is God all around, but He also indwells us. This inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit allows for the most intimate communion possible. The Lord is near, ready to be the strength of our lives and an ever-present source of eternal joy, surpassing even when grain and new wine abound.[5]

But sadly, we can go through an entire day detached from our life source, looking at the world to bring joy to our hearts and relying on our own feeble strength. How do we believe and appreciate God’s desire to be with us and walk in awareness of His nearness? Below are some suggestions:

  • Settle daily into the fact that God loves you with an everlasting love,[6] a love which can’t be changed by what you think, how you feel or any past, present or future choice. Walk around in His love. When lies of condemnation and shame bombard you, let them be reminders to remain in His love.
  • Understand that, in spite of your problems and difficulties, God is working for your good according to His purposes. Rather than a smooth life, He wants you to be conformed into the image of His Son Jesus.[7]
  • Be aware that your inner need for satisfaction and joy was placed in your heart when He created you.[8] In His presence is fullness of Joy.[9] As worldly trappings draw your heart, promising to fulfill you and complete you, remember the source of all joy is closer than breathe. Acknowledge His nearness and turn your heart back to Him whenever you realize you’ve wandered away.

Lord, thank you for Lily. Continue to use her to remind me that you actually delight to be with me, that I give you joy. Wow. Communing with you is sweeter than honey and more valuable than gold.[10] One day with you is better than a thousand days elsewhere.[11] When I get caught up in my day and long for comfort and painless living, please remind me that in Your presence us unconditional joy, especially when times are hard. Thank you so much for loving me this intensely and wanting to be with me.  Amen.

[1] For Easter Lily

[2] Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 1

[3] John 3:16

[4] John 1:12

[5] Psalm 4:7

[6] Jeremiah 31:3

[7] Romans 8:28-29

[8] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[9] Psalm 16:11b

[10] Psalm 119:72,103

[11] Psalm 84:10

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Unrelenting

Until the Darkness Fades

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Lord, Take this Cup

Jesus, in your humanity, You prayed that the cup of suffering might be taken away. You asked for the support of trusted brothers. You earnestly prayed until blood dropped from Your pores. You longed for Your Father’s purposes to be accomplished in a different way. But You always submitted to God’s will in spite of how it affected you.

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done (Luke 22:42 NASB).”

Lord, there are situations in our lives which are very hard. Please teach us how to keep earnestly praying for Your love and healing touch to break through. Yet, like You demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane, teach us to trust Father God in spite of what’s going on around us.

Giants in the Land

Lord, there are giants in the land. And unlike Goliath, these giants don’t seem to be going away any time soon. People we love are sick. Relationships are broken. Loved ones don’t know Your love and are destined to an eternity without You. Folks are lonely, addicted, jobless and homeless. When we see these troubles we can easily become discouraged.

Yet, you tell us to expect troubles and to remain courageous.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NIV).”

Knowing this, and realizing Your greater purposes, we keep asking for Your light to shine in the darkness, around us and in us.

Until the Darkness Fades 

My daughter is a talented musician and song writer. In the lyrics of a song she recently wrote  – “until the darkness fades.”

It occurs to me that when darkness fades, light has begun. I think of the twinge of grey in a predawn sky, which brightens with the rising sun. The smallest ray of God’s loving, healing light can illuminate the darkness in a human heart and grow ever brighter.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day (Proverbs 4:18 NASB).

When I think about the continual transformation of my own heart, which began over 40 years, I recognize God’s persistent work of enlightenment. There were times when the growing light was stalled because of my own unwillingness to surrender. But God is relentless in His desire for my freedom. He wants me free from needing smooth circumstances, success, the love of others and worldly security. He won’t give up until His light fills every crevice of my hearts. I’m complete in Christ and He wants me to fully know it.

Praying for Light  

But even as our hearts are being transformed, giants are still around. Do I allow them to steal my courage and zap my joy?  Or, do they become the impetuous to follow Jesus’ example of earnest prayer. If these giants are keeping me praying, then they must serve some purpose.

As Graham Cooke stated in his podcast Brilliant Perspectives,  “God has allowed in His wisdom, what He could have prevented in His power.”

But still. I don’t want these giants around. Like the orcs were over run by the light of Gandolf’s staff, I pray for their destruction. I pray for God’s light to reveal, to heal to penetrate the darkness with blinding power.

Praying Circles  

I’m learning not to hang my welfare on my own happiness. I’m learning to draw my contentment from what Christ has already done, my hope from His return and my joy from His presence. However, I still have a part to play in the here and now, especially in respect to these giants.

I was recently introduced to the concept of praying circles from a book entitled The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. What I like about circular praying is the visual of continual prayer and of targeting ; kind of like a bull’s eye.

Behind our barn, next to the chicken coop, is an old white cabinet with a door. It was in my grandfather’s garage when I was growing up. Today, I wrote down eighteen giants and drew circles around each one. I’ll see them every day and plan on praying for God’s light until the darkness fades in each one. When and if a giant is destroyed, I’ll paint over it. As long as giants remain, I’ll keep praying.

Challenge  

Write down the giants in your land – those troubles you may have lost hope will ever leave.

Ask yourself a really hard question. If that giant doesn’t leave, will I be okay? You may need to do some heart work and offer up an idol. (Anything besides God you must have to be okay) This is really hard work.

Next. Circle it up. Determine to earnestly pray for God’s light to penetrate the darkness.

Finally. In reflection, think about a giant which has left your land. Do you wish it had never come?

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

God is our Reward, The Goodness of God

What is Good?

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I’m on our back porch enjoying the breeze of a chilly spring morning. The flowers are blooming, the trees are just beginning to bud and the grass is greening. I’m soaking in the spender of “now”.  A few birds visit our feeder suspended above the wooded path to our barn. A steady flow of cascading water from our fountain forms the background rhythm for their melodious songs.

I rest in the goodness of God. When I’m present with Him, the troubles of my life are out of view. Because He’s good, I’m good.

However, when I remember my present difficulties, if I’m not careful, they can suck the good right out of me.

Psalm 73 tells a story of a man  who’s dealing with a crisis of belief. Things are not going well and he really doesn’t know what to do.

When the Psalm opens up, Asaph is in a bad way. He doesn’t like his circumstances. He’s come close to stumbling and almost slips. He feels as if he’s wasted his time keeping his heart pure. He feels stricken all day long and chastened every morning.

To add to his unrest, envy has crept in. He sees wicked people who are prideful and arrogant, yet they seem to be doing fine.  They’re not in trouble or plagued. They prosper and are even fat, which was considered a good thing back then.

Asaph feels embittered and pierced within, yet he makes a wise choice. He brings his situation honestly before God.

This is the key to what happens next. No matter what our state, no matter how badly we’ve screwed up, no matter how angry we are at God, we should follow Asaph’s example and enter God’s sanctuary.

God is always ready to hear where we are and  the honest condition of our hearts. He can handle whatever we want to dish out. The worse thing we can do is shy away from Him because of shame, guilt or disappointment.

As Asaph  talks to God, his heart begins to shift. Though his feelings haven’t changed, he sees the end of those who don’t follow God.  “Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.” Psalm 73:17b-18

Then in verse 23, a dramatic turn occurs. Talking to God he says, “Nevertheless,  I am continually with You. You have taken hold of my right hand and with Your council will guide me, and afterwards receive me to glory.”

Whatever pit we find ourselves in right this moment. Whatever evidence we see around us that life is not good, we can repeat the above words in sincerity to God, releasing our lives into His care.

Nevertheless, no matter what, God, you are with me. It is You who have taken the initiative to reach out and take my hand and lead me. It is You who guides me along the way until You receive me into Your glory.

How reassuring! This truth can completely change our perspective. It did for Aspah. See what he wrote next:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And beside you I desire nothing on earth.”[1]

By bringing his concerns to God, even his complaints, God performed a 180 degree shift in Asaph’s heart.

Let’s recognize, as he did, that goodness is not in how our lives are going. Goodness is in God’s nearness. God is always with us and He is always good, no matter what goes on in our lives.

Asaph ended his Psalm with words which have become a truth I build my life around.

 “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.” Psalm 73:28a

Challenge: What circumstance threatens your sense of well-being? In other words, what has to be right in your life for you to be okay? It can be very good things, a good marriage, prospering children, successful career, etc. All these “goods” can never replace the fact that we are good because our God is good. Place the Lord of your life above all of things. He is worthy. He is trustworthy. He is good.

[1] Psalm 73:25

Choosing

Kill Joy

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The word “Joy” has always fascinated me. It’s so rich and larger than life. Paul’s book of Philippians drips with it, as honey from a comb, yet it was written while he was in a Roman prison cell. Peter speaks of glorious, inexpressible joy, when referring to the salvation of our souls, despite the earthly trials that come our way.[1]

From a Biblical stand point, joy has a captivating sweetness about it which seems to transcend our worldly experience. How else could prison and trials be associated with joy? Yet joy can be elusive?
Joy is one of the qualities of the Spirit of God, but how is it expressed in our earthly experience?

When I think of times I have experienced what I would call joy, I feel as if my soul has been lifted up, far above the cares of this world. The problems and concerns don’t go away, but they seem no larger than specs of dust beneath my feet.

During these moments, I’m overwhelmed with gladness and gratitude. I’m filled with a desire to be with God, to see Jesus. For brief moments, I seem to be looking at life through eternity, seeing only what really matters. For me, joy is more than just a feeling, it’s a perspective, an eternal viewpoint, flowing from the nearness of God.

But alas, I have learned many ways to kill joy:

When I dwell too intently on the problem at hand, fretting, as I tackle life’s problems in my own strength, I have not joy.

When I become overwhelmed with busyness, embracing the tasks, without setting priorities and doing what’s really important, I have not joy.

When I’m overcome with the heartbreaks of life and lose sight of the fact that God’s nearness is my good, I have not joy.

When I am fooled into thinking the world will satisfy my inner longings, I have not joy.

When I hold onto an offense and let anger and resentment fester, I have not joy.

Making  heavenly choices in the midst of a physical world can be hard.  However, when I realize the mystery of Christ in me is more than just an idea, I can choose wisely. I can yield to His strength as He empowers my walk. As I do, joy flows as a River of Living Water.

Where is my joy? God freely gives it in His Indwelling Presence. God Himself is fullness of joy.[2] Joy is readily available to me, but I must continue to answer one burning question.

Do I choose to live for me or do I choose to live for my Lord?  This is not just a one-time decision, but one that must be made over and over again each moment of every day. When I choose rightly, joy awaits me.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. Hebrews 9:1

[1] I Peter 1:8

[2] Psalm 16:11b

Staying Present with God

Stay Present my Friends

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And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in you. Psalm  39:7

“What do you think?” a voice interrupts your thoughts.

Suddenly you’re brought back to the present. Your spouse, your child, your friend has been sharing something important, but you were thinking about what was next on your never ending to-do list. You have no idea what they just said.  Busted!

On another occasion you miss a magical moment on your family vacation because you’re dwelling on a regret from your past.

God has given us five sense to bring awareness of His creation around us.  These senses are available now, not yesterday, not tomorrow,  but now.

What are some of your favorites when it comes to your senses?

For me:

Sight:  Sunset or sunrise over water or mountains

Sound:  Water rushing past rocks in a mountain stream

Smell:  Tea olive, gardenias

Touch:  Sea breeze, fall wind in my face, soft sheets

Taste:  Chocolate pie, dark coffee

When we savor now, we’re enjoying  a gift from God. A lady on a plane once told me that’s why now is called the present.

There’s an old movie entitled “Our Town” which drives this point home.

One of the characters named, Emily, dies while giving birth to a child. However, she is permitted by the stage manager to revisit the past and to step back into the morning of her sixteenth birthday as an observer.

From her vantage point, she has a profoundly nostalgic appreciation of the transient beauty of life’s little moments. However, she is struck by how the people, including her younger self, don’t have a clue how precious the moments of life really are. She is stunned that nobody savors and fully appreciates “now”. They all seem so disengaged. Later she would say of the living, “They don’t understand.”

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”[1] Paul

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”[2] Jesus

God doesn’t want us to be imprisoned by the regrets of our past nor fears of our future. He wants us to be present with Him moment by moment.

Jesus tells us in John 15 to “abide” in Him. Other meanings of this word are to “tarry” or “stay present with.” Jesus goes on to say in the same chapter that there is complete joy found in “staying present” in His love and loving others as He has loved us.

Staying present with Jesus is essential to our Spiritual lives and it leads to experiencing and savoring life’s moments. Otherwise, life quickly passes us by.

Challenge:  Take notice of what you see and hear right this moment. Do you smell anything? Perhaps you’re drinking a cup of coffee and feel a gentle breeze upon your face like I’m experiencing as I write.

What tends to call you away from being fully present? Is it a looming duty, a past regret, a worry about the future? Whatever it is robs you of fully embracing the gift of now. Give these things to God and don’t take them back.

The people in our lives are loved and cared for during life’s “nows”. In an instant our present moments become memories. When we savor our times with the people God places in our path there’s a richness which touches our hearts and slows the swirl of life.

But what’s most important is being present with God. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Jesus and we are never alone. God is in us and around us. We are in Him and He is in us.

Tarry, remain, abide in Jesus. His presence is experienced now.

In your presence is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11 b

[1] Philippians 3:13

[2] Matthew 6:34

The Lord Delights in his Children

Running to your Love

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 The Lord your God is in your midst;  he is a warrior who can deliver.  He takes great delight in you;  he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NET)

Can You Come Play?

During a recent trip to Walmart, I had a delightful surprise. I was in ”get-er-done” mode, wheeling my buggy toward the area I hoped I’d find camping chairs, when my Fitbit informed me I had a call. Looking down and seeing it was my daughter, I tapped my blue tooth and answered it. But it wasn’t my daughter, it was my four year old grandson. “Can you come play?” he asked.

If you’ve reached the stage in life where you’ve been blessed with grandchildren, you understand how his question made me feel. My heart absolutely over flowed with love for him.

There’s a different dimension of love I’ve experienced with our five grandkids. We don’t love them more than our children, just differently. Without the responsibility of direct parenting, I feel freer to love. In fact, in a very real sense grandkids help me experience the moments of life more fully and God’s love more deeply.

God’s Love

The next day in church, there was a phrase in one of the songs about running to God’s love. It’s a great concept, but understanding God’s continual open arms to us can be extremely hard to grasp. Speaking of Christ’s love, Paul prays we might comprehend its vastness and know this love which surpasses knowledge. With our limited minds, this picture of unending, unchangeable love can only be believed by faith, especially in light of our human failings.

When I think of how I’ve disappointed God, seeds of doubt creep in. Are his arms still open? Does he still desire our embrace?

Pop’s Love

What love I experienced when my grandson called me! If I wasn’t an hour and fifteen minutes away, I’d have driven straight there. And even with the distance, surprising him crossed my mind. Being “Pop” to my grandchildren has expanded my heart to measures I didn’t expect, but my love for them is a mere shadow compared to God’s love for me.

Expanding My Concept of love

When we think of our children or grandchildren, and really ponder our love for them, we can understand a deeper dimension of God’s love. Those closest to us can cause the deepest pain, but no matter what a child or grandchild does, would I ever refuse their desire to run into my arms?

Challenge:

Close your eyes and picture God holding out his arms to you for a running embrace.  Is there a hesitation? If so, what are you afraid of? Whatever it is, it’s a lie.

 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for giving me a picture of your love for me, when I think of my grandchildren. Allowing me to be a grandfather helps me understand your love for me even more.

But sometimes there’s a “disconnect” in my heart. Your love is true. Like the Father in the story of the prodigal son, you have open arms for all your children. Whether we’ve been in the distant lands of false affections or striving to earn your love at home, your love never fails.

Your arms are always open and you delight in us running to you. In fact, when you see us running to you, because we are in Christ, you see your Son.

God is our Life, God is our Strength

Finding the Silver Lining

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(Every cloud has a silver lining – John Milton)

 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

(II Corinthians 1:9)

 My boss Frank called at 6:00 am. Slurring his words, he told me he couldn’t teach the computer class our client so desperately needed. He’d been out all night partying. “You’ll have to teach it,” he said.

“But I’ve never taught the class before, Frank,” I strongly protested.  Frank mumbled something and hung up.

Placing the phone down, reality swept through my still groggy mind. This was an impossible situation. I was gripped with a wave of panic. I could either crawl back in bed and quit my only source of income, or teach a three day class covering subjects I barely knew.

Though my chances of success were very slim. I had to try and teach it. My wife and four kids were depending on me.

Later, riding the elevator to the class room on the tenth floor, I prayed. “Lord, you have to do this. I’ll do what I can and open my mouth, but please teach this class through me.”

During every break, I crammed to prepare for the next segment. I kept my Bible opened to the Psalms, jotting down prayers for guidance.

Three days later the class was over. By God’s grace, no one knew it was my first time teaching  it. And amazingly, the marks were good on the evaluation sheets the 23 students had to fill out. God taught this class through me and He was the only reason it was successful.

Month’s earlier, I  prayed for God to help me trust Him more. Looking back, I think this was his answer. The only way I could learn to not rely on me, was to be placed in a situation I couldn’t handle. I learned more about trusting God in those few days than I had in years before.

Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”[1]

“Good” is not just smooth circumstances and good feelings. True “good,” eternal “good” is wrapped up in our nearness and dependence upon God.

Paul was in such dire circumstances in Asia that he despaired even of life.[2] But he saw the “silver lining”.[3]  He knew there was a deeper good in his very hard circumstances. “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”[4] The very difficult circumstances kept Paul trusting in the Lord and not in himself.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;[5]

A most important lesson we all need to learn is that “good” does not always mean easy. What is truly “good” is what draws us closer to God.

Blessings can come in strange packages.

Our ability to find a silver lining (a reason for hope) in each and every situation is directly proportional to our belief that being with God and depending on Him is our ultimate good.

Lord, I’m so sorry for the times I have longed only for smooth, easy circumstances. I’m learning to experience the joy of your presence in all circumstances. Please teach me to long only for you. You are my life.

 

Challenge: What hard circumstance are you facing? If you haven’t already, surrender it completely to God. Ask him to use it for your good by deepening your awareness and dependence upon Him.

[1] Romans 8:28

[2] 2 Corinthians 1:8

[3] Originally from a John Milton poem referring to light bursting through a cloud, yielding the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining”

[4] 2 Corinthians 1:9

[5] Psalms 73:28

God is our Reward

Game Changer

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But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.

Psalms 73:28

In 2003, Brad Pyatt was an undrafted rookie wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. When his career ended, he would have a total of three catches for 14 yards. However, what Pyatt did one evening that year became the turning point in what many call the greatest comeback in NFL history.

The Colts were playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The Buccaneers were the previous year’s Super Bowl winners and a team touting the league’s number one defense.

With five minutes to go in the game, the Buccaneers scored, giving them an unsurmountable 35-14 lead. Tony Dungy, the Colt’s head coach, was considering pulling Peyton Manning and the rest of his starters to save them from injury. However, when Pyatt took the kick-off from two yards deep in the end zone to the Tampa Bay 12 yard line, the course of the game shifted.

With such great field position, the starters went back out and quickly scored. The Colt’s defense, now infused with courage, stiffened. The Bucs could not make a first down and were forced to punt. The Colts quickly scored again making the score 35-28 with only a couple of minutes left on the clock.

They successfully recovered an onside kick and the home crowd became deathly silent, sensing a miracle comeback. The visitors scored another touchdown with 30 seconds remaining, tying the game and sending the contest into a ‘Sudden Death’ overtime. The Colt’s completed an improbable comeback by kicking a field goal which bounced off the goal post and through, beating the Buccaneer’s 38-35.

Pyatt’s game changing kickoff return paved the way for his team to score three touchdowns in less than five minutes, reversing the outcome of the game.

That was sports. How about life? If we believe God is our good and live it out, it’s a game changer for our whole life. In fact, it changes everything.

Consider the fact that God is our Exceeding Great Reward[1] and the answer to all our hopes and dreams. What if, like Asaph in Psalm 73:28, you declared, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.”

There are so many lesser “goods” which compete for our attention: checking through our to-do list, accumulating possessions, fighting for smooth circumstances. What if we could honestly say that being with God was our good; and we believed it? How would this change the moments of our day?

I believe we would accomplish what needs to be done, but would enjoy the process and the people much more than the achievements. Since God is around us and in us, closer than breathe, we would be good because He is good.

Since his presence brings us fullness of joy,[2] His nearness infuses delight into every word and every deed along the way.

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 

Psalms 73:25

Lord, I believe Your nearness is my good, teach me to live this out in every moment of my life.

Amen.

 

[1] Genesis 15:1 NKJV

[2] Psalm 16:11

Hearts

Near to the Broken Hearted

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The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Psalm 34:18

Whether we know it or not, we all suffer from a broken heart. Knowing this is the first step towards healing. But how we choose to mend it is the key to whether we are comforted and eventually healed or whether our hearts are broken further.

We were designed for God’s nearness. Our hearts were created to be filled with His presence. We had it once, in Eden before the fall. We were fully dependent upon Him and we lived in continually enjoyment of His closeness.  But, in Adam, we wanted to be our own god. We chose to disobey, causing the tabernacle of God to be ripped out of our hearts.

We enter life thirsty and empty, searching for what we once had; God Himself.

In Luke chapter 4, starting with verse 16, we read that Jesus entered the synagogue in His hometown. He picked up the book of Isaiah and reading about Himself, He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”

One of Jesus’ purposes is to heal the broken hearted, to bind up and comfort our crushed and bruised hearts; hearts longing for God; hearts broken by disappointments, betrayals and death.

Paul calls Jesus the God of all comfort, who comfort us in all of our afflictions so that we will be able to comfort others. [1]  But how does He comfort us? He comforts us by being with us. The word comfort literally means to come along side, to be near, to be with.

How does God heal our broken hearts? By being with us. Ours is to be aware of His nearness and to depend upon Him moment by moment. When this happens we receive the oil of gladness. [2] Our hearts begin to heal and we can literally be full of joy in the Lord, no matter what is whirling around us. Jesus heals our broken hearts by being the Lord of our hearts.

God Himself is our Exceeding Great Reward. His nearness is our joy, our strength, our peace, our hope, our courage, our healing.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

Lord, your nearness heals us. I open my heart fully to your presence. Teach me how to be aware of you in the moments of my life and teach me to love you with my whole heart.

[1] 2nd Corinthians 1:4

[2] Isaiah 61:3