Tag: love

He Meets Us Where We Are

One of the things that I love most about the Lord is that He meets us where we are. He understands everything we are going through. Even when we don’t understand ourselves or our situation, He does. Every step we take is a part of His greater, magnificent plan for our lives. Even when we may feel He is distant, He is near. He knows exactly what we need to get through each new day He allows us to see.

Psalm 145:18 NIV, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

He doesn’t give up on us, or the purpose He has for us. We’ll go through times where our faith may be weaker than other times. We’ll have to endure unexpected tests and overcome trials. However we’ll also learn many valuable lessons, and experience victories along the way. Regardless of what we go through, our Lord meets us where we are. His grace will always be sufficient to carry us through.

But Jesus

During the workday me and my coworkers usually discuss things that are happening in the news. The news can be scary because the world is becoming scary. It’s terrible what so many people around the world, and even in our own neighborhoods and families are going through. Jesus says in the world we will have trouble, BUT to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Psalm 20:7 NIV, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

BUT we trust in the name of the Lord our God. This is our hope. No matter what comes our way, we can say, “BUT, I trust in the name of Jesus.” When we trust in Him, we know that He will take care of our every need. His name is the name that saves. His name is above ever other name. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

I’m thankful that in Christ Jesus regardless of what we see or hear, we have a BUT. Even when we close our eyes and take our last breath someday, it’s not truly over. We will leave this world behind, BUT we will spend eternity seeing Him face to face in all of His glory.

Just remember these two words…

BUT JESUS.

Thankful! 🎉🎉🎉

I’m so thankful to be a part of the blogging community! Thank you so much for supporting Drawing Closer To Christ. ❤️

His Discipline Speaks Love

Hebrews 12:6 NLT, “For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

Discipline rarely feels good, but it’s good for us. God loves us too much to let us continue on in sin, which will eventually lead to death if we don’t repent (James 1:15). He wants us to lead fruitful lives that are full of purpose. His desire is for us to become all that He created us to be.

I’m thankful for the times God disciplined me for my sinful actions. Experiencing the consequences of my wrong choices, helped me to understand the importance of making right godly choices. Through Christ, we have the freedom and the power, to make choices that will bring life, instead of death, to ourselves and others.

God disciplines us because of His love for us. However He is merciful. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He knows our hearts and He knows our struggles. He knows the best way to work in our lives to get us to where He wants us to be.

When we have hearts that are willing to trust God and obey Him, then we know He will be patient with us as we mature in Christ. It’s a joy to know, that as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, we are making progress.

New Day, New Mercy

Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

So many mornings I have remembered this verse and felt joy. The mercy of Jesus is new every morning. Everyday He gives us a fresh start. Even when we fall into sin, His love, forgiveness, and mercy will meet us right where we are. All we have to do is repent.

When the pressures of life come our way, and our energy is low, He will uphold us. He will give us strength to face the day. He will not allow us to be consumed. Praise the Lord for His new mercies! Great is His faithfulness.

Our Ministry of Reconciliation

I sometimes wonder what it’s like to be God. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and His love never ends. It’s amazing that in all His magnificence, He would still choose to use us as vessels to show the world who He is.

Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have the privilege to be witnesses and help others come to know Him too. Through the power of The Holy Spirit who lives in us, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”

When God gave us His Son, He gave us His very best. We can’t see past the current moment, but He can see all of our days from beginning to end. The life we are living here on Earth, should be preparing us for our eternal life in heaven.

As we prepare, we can help others prepare too, by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. The message of the Cross and the power of the blood that was shed there, bring life to this dying world.

Mental Health Awareness: Being Sensitive to Others

This past weekend, I visited the library with my daughter. While I was there, I ended up getting into a conversation with one of the library aides. She began to tell me about her brother, who committed suicide just three years ago. Before taking his own life, he also took the life of his daughter.

As she was sharing details about this horrific story, I could see how painful it was for her. I can’t begin to imagine how traumatic this experience has been for her and her family. She told me that her other brother is now a advocate for mental health awareness. She mentioned the importance of people getting help when they need it. The suicide rates have increased over the years. As a Christian, I want to be aware of people, their feelings, and their needs.

My fellow blogger and big brother in Christ, Matt at Jesusluvsall, wrote about mental health awareness all last week. I enjoyed his posts, and I want to share his final post from last Friday, May is Mental Health Awareness Month – Depression and Anxiety. Please prayerfully read it. He made many great points for us to be aware of.

My prayer is that we would be sensitive to the fact that people are hurting. I also pray that everyone would have access to the mental health care they need. Please pray along with me.

1 Peter 3:8 NLT, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”

Thanks for reading and praying. 😊