Presence

And I will ask the Father, 

and he will give you another Advocate, 

who will never leave you.

No, I will not abandon you as orphans

—I will come to you. 

John 14:16,18 

It is for your good that I am going away. 

Unless I go away, 

the Counselor will not come to you;

but if I go, I will send him to you. 

John 16:7

Jesus knew the sadness and fear that his followers were feeling when he told them he would be leaving. He was concerned for them. For three years they had enjoyed his companionship, deriving strength and encouragement from his presence. Jesus comforted them by telling them that he would not leave them but would come to them in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would become their close companion to help, cheer, strengthen and encourage them just as he had done.

The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us. Because of this gift we have the privilege of living in the presence of God. It is just like the disciples walking with Jesus except now the Holy Spirit is not just with us and around us, but also in us. Jesus sent the Spirit to us to be our companion as we walk here on this earth. He didn't want us to feel alone but wanted us to walk every day with a sense of his presence. We experience his presence all around us. Even in those times when we cannot feel his presence we rely on the truth of God’s promise. He said that he will always be with us, will never leave or forsake us, so we take him at his word knowing no matter how we feel, he is there.

Thank you, Jesus for asking the Father to send the Holy Spirit to abide with us. We know you are always there to comfort and encourage us no matter how we may feel. We seek more and more the experience of your presence, Holy Spirit.

And when you believed in Christ, 

he identified you as his own

by giving you the Holy Spirit, 

whom he promised long ago. 

2 Cor. 1:22

The Spirit is God’s guarantee 

that he will give us the inheritance he promised 

and that he has purchased us to be his own people. 

Eph 1:14 

Holy Spirit

Francesca Battistelli

There's nothing worth more

That could ever come close 

No thing can compare

You're our living hope. 

Your presence, Lord.

I've tasted and seen

Of the sweetest of loves 

Where my heart becomes free

And my shame is undone 

Your presence, Lord.

Holy Spirit, You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.

Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your presence, Lord 

Your presence, Lord 

There's nothing worth more

That could ever come close

Let us become more aware of Your presence 

Let us experience the glory of Your goodness 

Listen to Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli

The Humanity of Jesus

Image from The Humanity of Jesus, Dr. Dann Spader, sonlife.com

Because God’s children are human beings

—made of flesh and blood—

the Son also became flesh and blood.

 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing,

 he is able to help us when we are being tested. 

 Heb 2:14,18 (NLT)

We think so much about Christ's divinity, not often about his humanity. But, it is Christ, in his humanity, who is our companion in our times of trouble or sorrow.

Because he is human, he feels what we feel. He is our helper and not just one who stands aloof, but one who enters into our suffering with us. He is for us, constantly interceding and pleading for our healing and well-being. Because of his deep empathy for us, he is able to comfort and sustain us. 

Nothing we ever go through will ever be able to separate us from this love. That is why we are exhorted to come without hesitation to him to ask and receive the help we need. He stands ready to come to our aid, to calm our fears and to comfort us with his love.

Who then will condemn us? 
No one

for Christ Jesus died for us
 and was raised to life for us,
and he is sitting in the place of honor
 at God’s right hand,
pleading for us.
Romans 8:34 (NLT)

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, 

for he faced all of the same testings we do.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 

There we will receive his mercy, 

and we will find grace to help us

when we need it most.

Heb 4:15-16 (NLT)

No power in the sky above or in the earth below

—indeed, nothing in all creation 

will ever be able to separate us from the love of God

 that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:39 (NLT)

God of Comfort

When we arrived, there was no rest for us.  

Outside there was conflict from every direction, 

and inside there was fear. 

 But God who encourages those who are discouraged,

 encouraged us. 

2 Cor 7:5-6

There are many times in this life that we feel overwhelmed.  All around our outside circumstances are challenging us and inside is nothing but fear. God understands. That's the time to look to him, the God of all comfort. When we feel helpless, weak and discouraged we can count on God's spirit. If we seek him and ask, he will come to encourage and sustain us in the midst of our trouble.

Thank you, God, for your spirit that comes to comfort and encourage us in all our times of trouble. 

God is our merciful Father

 and the source of all comfort.
 He comforts us in all our troubles.

 2 Cor 1:3-4

Lead Me On

Roman Road and Arch, Donnas, France

When I walk through the darkest valley

 I will not be afraid because you are close beside me.

Ps. 23:4 (NLT)

There are times when things seem so dark we can't see our way.  We are weighed down with confusion and fear.  In times like these we need even more to trust the Great Shepherd who is always there and will never fail to lead us on. 

I am so thankful for the rich tradition of scripture and song that I have been surrounded with these last 47 years since I came to know Christ.  In times of trouble, a scripture or a song comes to mind to encourage me. This morning I woke singing Precious Lord, Take My Hand, written by Thomas A. Dorsey, the father of Black Gospel music.  

He wrote this song a week after the tragic loss of his wife and son in childbirth. As he tells the story:

I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody. Once in my head they just seemed to fall into place: 

'Precious Lord, take my hand lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.' 

The Lord gave me these words and melody. He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. 

And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comeswhen He will take me and gently lead me home.

How much encouragement we gain from listening to the stories of those who have experienced the dark times and have found God faithful to carry them through. 

Oh Lord, let us always cling to you, trusting you to lead us on toward the light no matter how dark it seems.  We know you will bring us through because your grace is unchanging, your love unfailing.  Give us eyes to see, give us faith to believe that you are always there close beside holding our hand.

Click here:  Elvis singing Precious Lord. (In honor of my mom who was an Elvis fan.)

Abide with Me

We are faced with so much uncertainty in life - an unexpected illness, a loss, a crisis.  He hasn't promised us perfection in this sinful world.  There is always the possibility that we will face heartache and suffering. The only thing we can count on is God's steadfast presence with us.  The knowledge that he is always there, no matter what happens, is our constant comfort. 

He tells us,  "Be of good cheer, for I have faced it all and have overcome it all by my spirit and I give that spirit to you."   He overcame the world.  What should I fear? We need not fear change or suffering or an unexpected crisis of health or life because we know that God has already seen it.

In the midst of sorrow and sadness, pain or suffering, let us ask for a consciousness of his abiding presence to cheer and to guide us.  Great is his faithfulness. No matter what happens he is there to help us. This is his promise, "I will be with you always even to the end of time." (Mt. 28.20)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (NLT)

Abide with Me

Abide with me - fast the eventide!

The darkness deepens - Lord, with me abide;

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, 

O abide with me!

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day,

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see - 

O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

I need Thy presence every passing hour -

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?

Thru cloud and sunshine,

O, abide with me!

I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless,

Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness;

Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still if thou abide with me!

Hold Thou Thy Word before my closing eyes,

Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;

heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee -

In life, in death, 

O Lord, abide with me!

Henry F. Lyte (1847)

To hear this beautiful hymn go to:  http://youtu.be/Rw5TtwJFIKU

Streams in the Desert

Apache Lake Arizona

For I am about to do something new.See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?I will make a pathway through the wilderness.I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

What ever difficulties or troubles we may face, God can make a way right through the middle of them.  Whether the troubles are of our own making (and mine usually are) or caused by someone else, we can still trust that God will give us comfort and wisdom.  Often he does not rescue us out of our troubles, but gives us refreshment in the midst of them.  He sets for us a wonderful banquet where we can sit down, rest and eat even in the presence of our enemies.  

What difficulty are you facing right now?  What impossible situation is robbing you of your peace and joy.  Look to the one who can make a shining river right in the middle of the driest desert.  He is there to comfort and guide you.  Look to him.

                     You prepare a feast for me                 in the presence of my enemies.

                                         Psalms 23:5 (NLT)

  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

If I forget . . . .

We heard this beautiful song sung by the Northwestern College Choir at our church on Friday evening.  Here are the lyrics attributed to Robert Browning.  Music composed by Craig Courtney.

If I forget, yet God remembers.

If these hands of mine cease from their clinging,

yet the Hands divine hold me so firmly I cannot fall.

And if sometimes I am too tired to call for Him to help me,

then He reads the prayer unspoken in my heart and lifts my care.

I dare not fear since certainly I know that I am in God's keeping,

shielded so, from all that else would harm,

and in the hour of stern temptation, strengthened by His power.

I tread no path in life to Him unknown;

I lift no burden, bear no pain, alone;

my soul a calm, sure hiding place has found:

the everlasting Arms my life surround.

God, Thou art love!  I build my faith on that.

I know Thee who has kept my path,

and made light for me in the darkness,

tempering sorrow so that it reached me like a solemn joy.

It were too strange that I should doubt Thy love.

Sorrows

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing,

he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Heb 2:18 (NLT) 

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses,

for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.

There we will receive his mercy, 

and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Heb 4:15,16 (NLT)

Many of our sorrows in life come not from other people or our outward circumstances but from our own weaknesses and failings.  Others may criticize us and we often become critical of ourselves because we just can't seem to change even though some behavior is causing pain and dysfunction in our lives. 

Jesus is touched with compassion when he sees us in such sorrow and frustration.  He experienced similar feelings and so is able to understand what we go through. 

David Seamands in his book Healing for Damaged Emotions, expresses this so beautifully in the chapter The Wounded Healer.

If He merely understood the fact of our infirmities, that would be good enough.  But I've got better news for you.  He even understands the feeling of our infirmities - not just the cripplings, not just the weakness, not just the emotional hangups and the inner conflicts, but the pain that comes with them.  He understands the frustration, the anxiety, the depression, the hurts, the feelings of abandonment and loneliness and isolation and rejection.  He who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities experiences the whole ghastly gamut of emotions which goes along with our weakness and our cripplings.

We are coming to a Heavenly Father who understands our feelings and invites us to share them with Him.  So we can draw near with confidence unto the throne of grace knowing that we will obtain mercy and find grace in our time of need.  We can come when we need forgiveness and when we feel guilty for our sins.  And we can also come when we are being wracked and tormented by the feelings of our infirmities.

It is good to know that when we bring our failures to him we will not be met with criticism, guilt or shame, but with a friend who sees and feels our tears and will comfort and support us. 

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;

it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
Isaiah 53:4 (NLT)

Comfort

 He comforts us in all our troubles 

so that we can comfort others.

2 Cor 1:4 (NLT)

We like soft and comfortable things.  A pillow for our head, a cushy comforter, the perfect mattress, a soft place to sit and relax.

God, our Father is the source of all comfort.  He sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and constant companion.  When troubles build up and begin to weigh us down, when we become discouraged with the struggles and disappointments of life, he is there to soothe and comfort us.  We need this constant encouragement and comfort in a world that can be harsh, hard and cold.

Just as a comforter surrounds and supports us with softness so the Holy Spirit encourages us continually. We need to take time to lay down in God's comfort, to sink deep into the softness and warmth of his love.  He will soothe our frazzled souls and calm our frazzled nerves. Then we can be a source of comfort for those around us who have also been bombarded with the harsh realities of this life.

You are my comforter.  Surround me with a constant sense of encouragement no matter what troubles and difficulties I face today.  Thank you for your comfort. Make me a comforter. 

For troubles surround me— too many to count!

       Psalms 40:12 (NLT)

And I will ask the Father,

and He will give you another Comforter 

(Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby),

that He may remain with you forever—

John 14:16 (AMP)

Comfort

As I write about all the joy and blessing in knowing our Father I am faced with some serious news.  Two wonderful people that I know have been given the serious diagnosis of cancer.  Both now face difficult treatments and an uncertain future.  

This world is obviously not all sweetness and light. It is filled at times with pain, sorrow and uncertainty.  Some may wonder why I write so much about Joy.  Joy has become my watchword after suffering so many years with depression and anxiety.  Finally being able to settle into the joy and peace of God’s realm is so wonderful for me.  I, of course, still have down times, but realize that they are nothing compared to what those facing serious illness must deal with. 

The joy, light and peace of God’s presence are all very real, but are ever stronger at times of sorrow, pain, depression and despair.  He identifies with our suffering.  His name is the God of all comfort.  

I pray for Marianne and Mitchell that they may experience the compassion and comfort of our Father as they face the days ahead.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 

 who comforts us in all our troubles

2 Cor 1:3-4 (NIV)

Arms

God is the best kind of Father.  Strong and yet tender and compassionate.His strength and power are coupled with his comforting arms.His arm is used in strength against the things that will harm us but, his arms bring soothing comfort toward us as his children.  See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:10-11 (NIV)

There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.

Deut 33:26-27 (NLT)

Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.  Mark 10:16 (NLT)