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

“…and lo, I (Jesus) am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b


Have you ever felt like God was a zillion miles away? Most of us have at some time in our life.

There was a time in my journey, while held captive in the icy, cold grip of depression, I questioned and even doubted God’s presence. Satan deceived me and my feelings betrayed me into thinking that the Lord was nowhere to be found. It was a lie that felt true.

Lies can seem real when we lose sight of the truth.

As human beings, God can feel far away when we are hurting or brokenhearted. When we are disappointed or suffering a major setback. When we have experienced significant loss in life. When the black clouds of depression descend upon our souls. When people we trusted and counted on reject or abandon us. Emotionally, God may be hard to find during difficult times. Negative feelings try to separate us from the truth of God’s presence. 

According to the pages of God’s Word, the truth is this: God is with us. He is never  not with us. The Lord is always present, whether you or I feel His presence or not. Life happens, and when it does, God doesn’t disappear behind a cloud.

God doesn’t play hide and seek with His people. Our Creator and Redeemer doesn’t challenge us to find Me if you can. David assures in our verse for this week that God is near, especially when our hearts are broken and our spirits are crushed. He is near and wants to be found. He makes it easy to find Him, because He is near. 

As a father and grandfather, I don’t pull away from my children when they need me. I draw near to them. I make sure they know I am with them, for them, and will do everything I can to ease their discomfort and meet their need. That’s what Dad’s do…stay close to their kids

Our heavenly Father is near to His sons and daughters. God promises in His Word to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Translation: God never takes a hike on His people, especially when they are hurting. When we need Him the most, He is the closest.

Biblical faith is not based on whether I feel God or not, whether I think He is near or far away.  Feelings are fickle and unreliable at best. Faith trusts God is near because He says He is. God sticks close to all who love and trust in Him.

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus told His followers to make disciples (followers) in His name (Matthew 28:19). Then the Lord assured them He would be with them. ALWAYS WITH THEM…TO THE END OF TIME! Jesus would be very near. How near? In their hearts.  At all times. So, even when we feel heartbroken, Jesus is with us because He lives in our hearts through the comforting person of the Holy Spirit.

Living within our hearts means Jesus isn’t very far away. I mean, how far away is your heart? Jesus is the bridge between my heart and God’s heart.

I have learned that the deeper the pain, the more I feel that God has taken a hike, the nearer the Lord actually is. That is what His Word says. It is His promise to you and me. Praise the Lord He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those with crushed spirits! 

The next time God seems far away, try doing this:

• Choose to put your emotions on the back burner.
• Study God’s Word concerning His promises of being ever-present.
• Stir up you faith in the promises of God’s presence.
• Remember Jesus is always with you…ALWAYS.
• Confess God’s closeness to you right where you are.
• Rebuke the devil for suggesting God has forsaken you.
• Don’t allow feelings to speak louder than your faith.
• Reflect on God’s presence in your life in the past.
• Thank God for being near and hearing your prayer for His assistance.
• Tell somebody who is wondering if God is near that He is!

Hurting today? God seem far away? Release your hurt into His hands which are near. Receive His healing, restoring and renewing love.

Be of good cheer, God is near. Now and forever.

“Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord, and not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him?” declares the Lord. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 23:23

“And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou O Lord, has not forsaken those who seek Thee.”  Psalm 9:10

A Word For Your Week: When God seems far away……..He isn’t.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares, the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11


God’s chosen people were experiencing extremely challenging times.

An oppressive, culture crushing captivity clouded the sunshine of hope for God’s people. Hauled off in chains by the cruel Babylonians, the Jews found themselves homeless, helpless and hopeless. It looked like the future held little hope for the people of God.

Enter Jeremiah. With a word from the Lord. A timely, encouraging word about a hopeful future. 

Speaking directly to the exiled Jews through His prophet Jeremiah, the Lord declared that He had a plan for His people that included prosperity and success, excluded calamity and disaster, and insured them of a hopeful future. The message was clear and game changing: God wasn’t finished with His people. There was hope for a new and better day.

Jeremiah’s hopeful word was just what the doctor ordered. First and foremost, the Jewish people needed reassured that there would be a future life for them. They desperately needed something to hope for, a hope-filled word to hold on to.  Judah needed a promise from God that would stimulate hope in their hearts. Hope for the future would help them hang in there until God delivered them from the Babylonians.

How about you? Do you see a hopeful future or is your future clouded with hopelessness? Do the daily headlines cause the flame of your hope to flicker? Do you need afresh, bright ray of hope today? When I counsel with hurting people, the first thing they need is hope: sincere, genuine hope that God really cares and He can and will heal, restore and renew their lives.  

When we feel hopeless, we begin to feel helpless. Hopeless people often feel that God has forgotten them. As they sit on the ash heap of their personal misery, they think God doesn’t have a plan for their lives. Loss of hope leads to discouragement, depression and despair. 

Hopelessness and helplessness can tempt us to look to other sources for hope and help. Is your hope for provision based on a human handout, a benevolent bailout, or do you look to God’s hand to provide for your every need? Is your hope for protection, safety and security based on polished, politically-correct rhetoric and governmental agencies or do you trust in God to keep you secure and deliver you from all evil? How about your relationships? Is your hope and expectation of healthy, mutually satisfying relationships based on what man does, or what God can do in people’s hearts?

People can cope when they have hope.

Christian hope is a “living hope” because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! (I Peter 1:3). Born-again believers possess the hope of hopes. We are alive in Christ and destined for heaven! If you are seeking hope, seek the resurrected Savior. We are never without help when our hope is in God.

A hopeless end or an endless hope….the choice is ours. 

Here are some ways you can have hope for your future

• Start your day by confessing your hope in Jesus Christ.
• Saturate your mind and spirit with Gods’ hope-filled promises.
• Stop listening to society’s hopeless doomsayers.
• Surround yourself with hope inspiring people.
• Believe that God causes all things, including challenging times like these, to work for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
• Remember God’s faithfulness to you and your family in the past.
• Regularly thank God for the hope you have in His Son.
• Expect God to do great things in your life today!

If your hope is fading, grab hold of the rope of hope.

God’s plans are always good plans.  His plans for a great future and an eternal hope include you!

So focus your hope. Look up to the Lord. Hang your hope on Jesus Christ. Re-affirm your hope in Him. Expect God to fulfill His Word to give you a hopeful and prosperous future. 

“To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

“The Lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore, I have hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:24-25

“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; my stronghold, I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6

“Why are you in despair, Oh my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me: Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” Psalm 42:11

A Word For Your Week: Hope for the future is found in faith in Jesus Christ.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a


Have you heard these phrases before or maybe uttered them yourself? “I really need a breakthrough. I won’t make it if God doesn’t do something. I need a miracle from the Lord. I need God to show up.”

Of course we have heard these thoughts and spoken them ourselves. Our human nature drives us to seek God’s help and assistance when life is difficult. God cares. He is there and He does meet our needs when we look to Him to meet them.  

“God showing up” has become a popular phrase in Christian circles.

I understand what is being said and like God showing up in my life. But I wonder what God showing up is really about. Why and how does the Almighty show up? For what purposes and in what manner? Do I have some part in God showing up in my life? 

First of all, God shows up because He chooses to show up. God doesn’t show up just to show off. He shows up to glorify Himself. The Lord shows up so that men might show Him the reverence, adoration, respect, worship and obedience He alone is worthy of.

Let’s be careful to not look at God as someone who puts on a show for us. God is not in the entertainment business. He doesn’t have to prove His supernatural status or deity to anyone. He is not out to get our vote. His mission is redemption. The Cross of Christ and empty tomb weren’t shows…they were gracious manifestations of God’s redeeming love for lost sinners like you and me.

According to James 4:8, God showing up has something to do with me showing up. God shows up when I do. James encourages, actually invites and exhorts us to draw close to God. When we do, He draws close to us. Nearness from God has something to do with nearness to God. Drawing close to God is my responsibility. Drawing close to me is His responsibility.  

Difficulties try to drive a wedge between us and God. I am so grateful that God is near even when we don’t feel like He is. Psalm 34:18 declares “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  God is near and loving us even when we don’t think He is close. When life turns tough, God never pulls away. He draws near. Sounds like showing up to me.

When we show up, God shows up. It has always been that way and will always be. From cover to cover of the Bible, when men and women sought God, they found Him. When they prayed, He answered. When they needed miracles, God performed them. When they waited for His direction and guidance, He showed up to show them the way. When they needed rescued from enemies, God delivered them when they looked to Him for help. When they needed resources, He provided more than enough.

When God’s people worshipped, believed, prayed and obeyed, He always showed up.

Showing up is a God-me thing. I show up when I draw near to God. God shows up when He draws near to me. When I show up and God shows up, miracles occur. Breakthroughs break through. Healings happen. Relationships are restored. Sin’s stranglehold is broken. Peace, joy and rejoicing carries the day when God and I show up together and triumph over life’s trials!

Spiritual gut check time. Am I in position to where God can show up? Am I walking in faith and obedience to His Word? Do I seek to glorify Him in my thoughts, words and behavior? Am I waiting on the Lord? Do I put my spiritual armor on each day? Am I disciplining myself to pray, study the Bible, resist and reject sin, serve others in Christ’s name, and share Jesus with people who need the Savior?

Do you and I really think God will “show up” for us when we tolerate sin and unholy habits in our personal lives, we choose to not show up for worship, our lives are prayerless, we neglect to study the Word, or don’t act like Christ in daily living? 

Why should God show up for us when we make little or no effort so show up for Him?

Make no mistake about it. God does show up when we aren’t showing up. That’s what mercy, grace and lovingkindness is all about.  I wouldn’t be born-again and on my way to heaven if God didn’t show up when I was lost and wondering what life was about. Though I was ignorant of the things of God, unbelieving and disobedient to His will, my Heavenly Father loved Steve Roll and showed me that Jesus died for me. I am so glad that God showed up to show me His Son Jesus Christ!

Could it be your and my breakthrough is up to us in some way? Miracles might have something to do with nearness to God. 
  
Maybe God would show up more often if we did.

Just a thought.

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart, and I will be found by you declares the Lord…..” Jeremiah 29:13-14a

A Word For Your Week: Show up if you want God to show up.

“So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” II Kings 6:16


Imagine waking up tomorrow morning, peering out your window to discover you are completely surrounded by a massive enemy army whose mission is to end your life.

Not a great way to start a day unless you know something your enemy doesn’t. 

In II Kings 6:8-23, the prophet Elisha’s camp was under siege, surrounded by a menacing bunch of Aramean soldiers. Elisha remained calm, cool and collected under sudden, life-threatening pressure. But Elisha’s servant was having a major panic attack! He asked his master “What shall we do?’

How could Elisha be so calm and not panic like his servant? Elisha saw something his servant didn’t.

Elisha’s response to his fearful, anxious servant “There are more for us than against us” was a faith statement. A confident confession of his personal belief in his God. Elisha’s God was greater than King Aram and heaven’s troops were mightier in number and power than any mere man’s army.

Fear sees those against us. Faith sees those for us.

To calm his servant’s fears and get his blood pressure down, Elisha prayed “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around them.” What a sight for the frightened servant! The mountains were filled with chariots of fire from heaven. The surrounding Aramean army was surrounded by the heavenly host in full battle array.

When the Lord opened his eyes, Elisha’s servant saw what Elisha saw. The lesson for us: O Lord, open my eyes to see that there are more for me than against me.

Elisha saw with the eye of faith. He saw the real reality beyond the veil…the vast, mighty spiritual forces in high places protecting him. The devil is a deceiver who tries to dupe you and me into believing that Christians are outnumbered and outgunned. The media does too. And negative people. Doomsayers. The sky is falling chicken little’s. Half-empty glass people. You know, those short-sighted, faithless, fear-filled gutless wonders who can only see the worst in a challenging situation.

When surrounded by demonic forces, negative emotions, spiritual pressure, antagonistic people, and unfair, unjust situations, it is easy to slip into panic mode.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t push the panic button. Jesus did not rise from the dead and send His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts for you and me to be panic people. Romans 8:31 declares “If God be for us, who can be against us?” I like to think about this truth this way: If God be for us, everybody else might as well be! Think about it: who can stand against us when Almighty God is standing with us?

When you think you are surrounded, think again about who really surrounds you. Hebrews 12:1-2a tells us “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also say asid3e every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith….”

You and I are surrounded by the heavenly host and a huge cloud or multitude of spiritual witnesses who are watching over us, rooting for us as we run our faith race with endurance. People of faith who have gone ahead of us are standing in the stands of heaven cheering us on in the name of Jesus. No matter how loud and obnoxious the devil’s crowd may be, there are more of God’s crowd who are for us than those who oppose us.

Lord, please open our eyes to see that You are with us, You are for us and You and all the hosts of heaven are working on our behalf today. With the eye of faith, help us to see clearly the vast crowd of heavenly witnesses on our side as we continue our faith journey on earth. 

Fellow Christian, do not fear. Go out and have a good day walking by faith in Christ, knowing that more are for you than against you! 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life, whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamps against me, my heart will not fear; though war arises against me, in spirit of this I shall be confident.”  Psalm 27:1-3

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands, and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  Revelation 7:9-10

A Word For Your Week: Believe it….there are more for you than against you.

“In quietness and confidence will be your strength…." Isaiah 30:15b


Quietness. Confidence. Strength.

I don’t know about you, but I vote for all three in my Christian life.

It seems like Christians everywhere desire to be strong. And we should be strong in the Lord. But how do we do that? Are there keys to experiencing Christ’s strength in our daily lives?

I believe there are. Two of these keys appear in our verse for this week.

The Lord gave me this devotional while I was  happily perched on a jagged rock in the woods overlooking a scenic lake near my home. I go to this secluded place to hide out and be alone with the Lord in a natural setting where the only distractions are cool breezes, warm sunshine, singing cardinals, an occasional, furry tailed squirrel crossing the trail, and frolicking fish jumping in the blue-green water. Sometimes the setting is so wonderfully quiet that all I can hear is my heartbeat. And I love it!

Why do I go to this off the beaten path place? I need quietness in my life. This refuge of near deafening silence restores my soul.

Have you noticed how busy and loud life is? Life screams at us at every turn, drowning out quiet times and silent moments that restore our soul and renew our strength. Think about it. When was the last time you had a computer free, iPhone less, text message, Twitter free moment or two? How long has it been since you sat silently, that’s right silently, quietly and listened for God’s voice?

Isaiah tells us that IN quietness and confidence is our strength. Our strength comes from times of quietness before the Lord where our confidence is renewed in Him. James 4:8 invites us to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  Life has a way of wearing us down. You and I need to draw near to hear the still, quiet voice of God. The Holy Spirit speaks and is heard best when we are not distracted by other voices.

Too often many of us experience weakness in our Christian life because we do quiet ourselves before the Lord and wait on Him to renew our confidence and strength.

It is way too easy to excuse ourselves from the discipline of waiting on the Lord in quietness and confidence. Our enemy Satan loves it when we run and gun, scurry and hurry down the road of life, neglecting times of stillness and quietness before God where our souls are restored. The devil delights in you and me running on empty, hanging in there, merely surviving, hoping to get through another day. That is not the abundant life the Lord Jesus came to give us (John 10:10).

You and I rob our souls of restoration, renewal and revival when we refuse to be still before the Lord. 

I want to suggest to you that if you do not have quiet times with the Lord, you will not be a confident Christian and you will lack strength for the day’s battle.

Here are some simple, time-proven ideas for being quiet before the Lord.

• Set aside regular time to get alone with the Lord.
• Retreat to a place with minimal distraction. A secret hideout.
• Take your Bible, a pen and paper.
• Turn off all technology. No cell phones, I-pads, e-mails or Tweets!
• You need to hear from God more than you need to hear from friends on Facebook or Twitter.
• Pray and ask the Lord to help you clear your mind from stuff! You know what I mean!
• Don’t talk. That’s right, be quiet. Listen. Don’t speak. Listen, listen, listen. You might be surprised at what you might hear if you discipline yourself to listen.
• Sit, walk and enjoy sweet fellowship with the Lord in a setting that soothes your soul, renews your mind and strengthens your spirit.

I met with someone recently who is burned out. Life is not fun right now. They said that they have trouble being still. I told them that trouble always follows those who don’t take time to be still before the Lord.

Burnout or strength. The choice is ours…and strength comes from quietness and confidence in the Lord.  

“Be still (quiet) and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet (still) waters; He restores my soul.”  Psalm 23:2-3a

A Word For Your Week: Be quiet in Christ to be strong.