Sunday Sermonettes #097
If I tell you that the Lord is near when you are in trouble, you may not believe it. That is quite natural.
The people of God did not believe Moses either when he went and told them that God had seen their suffering and was concerned for them.
The Bible also tells us that they did not believe because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.
Sometimes, when we expect relief from suffering, we find that it increases in intensity. That makes it difficult for us to believe that the Lord is near.
Then how do I know that the Lord is near? Even on a cloudy day, the sun is still shining, though we cannot see it. We see only the gloom.
Our feelings of desperation do not change the fact that the Lord is near. He is Immanuel, God with us.
The presence of trouble in our lives is not a sign that God is absent. Even when your boat is in the storm, he is there in it with you.
The feelings of despair, doubt, discouragement, depression, and hopelessness are real—truly and genuinely human. And you are not alone in feeling like that.
Do not doubt the reality that you are God’s child when you pass through the dark night.
It reminds me of the risen Jesus drawing near to the discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus and making himself known to them as he opened the Scriptures to them.
If you ask , “Will not God deliver me?” I have no answer except this: the Lord is near.
And often I too struggle to believe it. But he has promised that if we call on him in our trouble, he will hear and deliver us—in his time, in his wisdom, and as he sees best for us.
Sometimes, it is trouble itself that helps us anchor our souls to the rock-like certainty that the Lord is near. He is.
Therefore, thank and praise him even when you do not feel like doing so. A genuine attempt to praise God when your whole mind, soul, spirit, and body rebel against that very thought can help you become aware of his presence near you.
No wonder the Bible calls it the sacrifice of praise. You will not feel like praising God. But do it anyway. Say, “Hallelujah!” Praise the Lord.
Featured image: Mabel Amber from Pixabay
Bible references:
- Exodus 6:9 (The Israelites not listening to Moses due to discouragement and cruel bondage )
- Matthew 1:23 (The name Immanuel, meaning “God with us”)
- Mark 4:35–41 (Jesus in the boat with the disciples during the storm)
- Luke 24:13–35 (The risen Jesus walking with the discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus)
- Psalm 50:15 (Calling on God in times of trouble and His promise to deliver)
- Psalm 34:17–18 (The Lord being close to the brokenhearted and saving the crushed in spirit)
- Hebrews 13:15 (Offering up a “sacrifice of praise”)
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