MARCH 29

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 145:18

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”

Psalm 73:28

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.”

Leviticus 10:3

“And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me  I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people  I must be glorified.’ ”

Jeremiah 23:23

“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord,  and not a God afar off?”

Psalm 75:1

“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

ELOHIM QAROB

GOD IS NEAR

Deuteronomy 4:7

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?”

Is there a human state of mind more temperamental than confidence?  You can be riding high one minute, buoyed by verbal praise from a coworker, a raise from the boss, or a night out with a friend.  Before you know what hit you, you can be feeling like a total loser, wrecked by an unkind word, or demoralized by the frustrating circumstances of the daily grind.

Here’s what’s undeniably true:  When we depend primarily on other people or the circumstances of life for encouragement, we’re headed for certain disappointment.  Friends and fellow believers can be – and are supposed to be – a source of encouragement to us.  But even the best friends and most loyal loved ones will let us down.

Take heart.  There’s a better way.

Deuteronomy reminds us that the most loyal, most consistent force in our lives is our God, who is NEAR.  He is with us all the time and instills in us His power, confidence, authority, and comfort.  The most powerful being in the universe is always nearby!

Are you facing discouraging realities?  Here are some encouraging truths:

God is with you (even if you can’t SEE or FEEL His presence).

God is all-powerful and sovereign.  He’s in control (even if that doesn’t SEEM true).

God’s nature is love and His heart is good (even when things don’t LOOK that way).

Don’t look first to people or situations to lift you up.  You can, at any time ~ even at this very second ~ go directly and boldly to the One who designed this amazing substance called ENCOURAGEMENT. You can go to His Word.  You can go to Him in prayer.  You can lift your hands to Him and sing His holy name.  What better encouragement is there than all that?

It’s only when we seek and trust the God who is always with us that we find the confidence we need to face life’s tough stuff.

In what ways can you face your current obstacles differently because you know that God is near, even if you don’t feel it?

PRAYER

Thank you, God, for being close at hand.  Please remind me to turn to You first for renewed confidence when I am discouraged.  Amen

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