God Is Near

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

I Always Had A Sense God Was Near.

I can’t think of a time in my life that I did not know of God. We were what pastors call the church CEO’s, those that attend on Christmas, Easter, and Other special occasions. My family did not talk about faith much in my formative years, yet I always had a sense God was near.

My grandmother went to church every week without fail, but kept her faith private. If I asked my great-grandmother about God, she would just remind me the Catholic church had kicked her out.

One year I went to Vacation Bible School with some friends and I came home wanting to fulfill what I had learned. They taught us we needed to tell our friends and neighbors about Jesus, so I wrote letters to my neighbors about how much Jesus loved them.

As I Prayed…

As I prayed about what to write this week, my mom’s godfather kept popping into my head. I knew him as my overall wearing Ol’ buddy Bob. He was who I considered my grandpa. Knowing I wanted to write on Isaiah 40, I could not imagine how Bob tied into, but felt I needed to keep exploring. I kept praying, and the Lord reminded me of a journal of Bob’s that I have.

Every night Bob would sit on a stool in his kitchen and lean onto the green ceramic tile countertop and write about his days in a journal. I went and found the one journal of his that I have labeled 1983. He had many journals. This just so happens to be the one I have. The first thing I saw when I picked it up it was a paper I had never noticed before. I unfolded the manilla paper and found a picture I had drawn.

Things That Are Special To Me

The picture said, “Things that are special to me; Daddy, Mommy, Me, Sister.” Then over us was the word God. As I sat and looked at my drawing, God reminded me of how loved I felt by Him when I really had no reason to know Him. That even at such a young age, God held my heart. I don’t think I have ever realized what a gift that was.

As I got older, the tug for me to draw closer to Him remained. In college, I could not resist the nudges anymore and started attending church. My family also joined me, and within the year, the church hired Sam (my now husband). It was in the following months that Jesus made Himself known to me and I truly fell in love with Him and recognized Him as my Savior.

Isaiah 40

As I read through Isaiah 40 this morning, I felt excitement. It begins with…

“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”

Isaiah 40:2 NLT

I love that the prophecies of the Bible were so complex. They spoke of what would happen during that point in history, but they also pointed to the Messiah and to the end times. In the above scripture, God is telling Isaiah to comfort Jerusalem. Their punishment had ended (the seventy years in exile), and He pardoned their sins.

God also brings us this incredible comfort. We create our own exile when we distance ourselves from Him, but Jesus came and took the ultimate punishment and paid for our sins.

God also brings us this incredible comfort. We create our own exile when we distance ourselves from Him, but Jesus came and took the ultimate punishment and paid for our sins. Click To Tweet

John The Baptist

The verse continues with a prophecy of John the Baptist.

“Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, ’Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!’”

Isaiah 40:3 NLT

The next 28 verses continue by reminding us:

• The glory of God will be revealed. (Isaiah 40:5)
• His Word endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
• He comes with power and a mighty arm. (Isaiah 40:10)
• He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. (Isaiah 40:11)

He reminds us over and over that He is the One and only true God.

On Wings Like Eagles

Chapter 40 finishes with one of my favorite scriptures, the scripture that carried me through our time in Orlando…

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 NLT) Click To Tweet

He Will Carry The Lambs

So many well-known verses are in this chapter, yet the one that grabbed me most was…

“He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.”

Isaiah 40:11 NLT

Many times in my life, I have felt like that little lamb. Without church or Sunday School as a child, God picked me up and carried me close to His heart. Through every moment of my life, He would draw me in.

He had me ask questions and my parents would help me find the answers. God placed friends in my life that watered the seeds and as I got older, He crossed my path with women who mentored me.

Feeling Unseen

Please don’t get me wrong, there were hard times. There are hard times. There were times He did not feel as close and I asked a lot of why’s, but I learned I was the one who had wandered away, not Him. If you are feeling alone today, unseen, or even lost, I want to encourage you He is near.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

Psalm 34:18 NLT

I want to encourage you to spend some time in prayer. Ask Him where you may have stepped away. Ask Him to feel His presence. There are times I just need to feel His closeness and He shows up. If you don’t feel it immediately, keep asking. There’s a bonding in the seeking. If you would like me to join you in prayer, just ask below.

Prayer

Lord, Thank you for each person listening. I thank you that we are all in different stages of our walk with you. But no matter where we are, you are right there with us. Even when it does not feel like it, we can have the peace that You are there. Many times, You have given me a supernatural hug. I ask that each person listening would feel that same hug from You. Guide each of us in the ways You would have us go to bring us closer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Plus, I have some exciting news…

Bible Gateway invited me to be part of their BG² Blogger Grid (blog network). It’s an honor to have my blog listed with these great blogs. Click here to see them all. (Mine is under JTK)