I’m one of those people who adheres to — a place for everything and everything in its place. I don’t mind at all if others are not that way inclined, but in my own home, this is my motto. Also, I actually enjoy cleaning the house. My nieces like to tease me by calling me “Aunt Monica.” I’ll leave you all to figure that one out. However, as much as I do like cleaning, it amazes me that dust is never ending. I wipe it away and sometimes, within the hour, there it is taunting me again! I do not find ever present dust comforting.
As I was glaring at this grey enemy the other day, another, more pleasant thought came to me. The amazing and joyful reminder that Almighty God is also ever present. We are told in Jeremiah 23:24, “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth? says the Lord.” Unlike wanting to get rid of dust, I would never want to be without the presence of God. Let’s think about that for a moment.
Since God is always with us, His care is always with us, His love is always there, His compassion fails not, His guidance never leaves us, His wisdom is there to help us, His courage and His own peace is always available to us. The Spirit of God is within each one who has become a child of God. Wherever we go, God is there and nothing takes Him by surprise, startles Him, or weakens Him. He is the epitome of strength, just as He is pure love — and none of that leaves us. It’s always there.
I often say, God is our everything to get us through anything. How could He not be? He is always with us. His whole being surrounds us and His Spirit fills us. Are you feeling lonely today? Are you downcast? Focus your thoughts on God, His love, His ever presence with you. Reach out. His hand is always ready and desiring to hold you, pulling you up, leading you forward. Just reach out and call to Him. He always answers.
Every scientific discovery only came about because of someone searching. Moon rocks were discovered because astronauts searched for them. Miners trapped below ground are only discovered when an expert team searches for them. Hikers lost in the mountains are discovered when rangers search for them. We discover the goodness of God when we search for it. Searching leads us to the truth and freedom.
Jesus told us Himself to “ask, seek, and knock,” in Matthew 7:7. One of my personal favorite verses is found in Lamentations 3:25, “The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him.” This verse is not suggesting that God will behave in a good manner toward us if we search for Him. It’s all about our own discovery of who He is. When we search, we will discover that God is good. As the praise song goes, “God is good all the time, all the time God is good.” The goodness of God is eternal and never changing.
Therefore, when grievous moments enter our lives, we cry our tears, we have a sense of deep loss, be it loss of momentary happiness, or earthly loss of someone we love. We feel the pain, but in the midst of our suffering, when we search for God, we discover that His comfort is always there. We discover that He actually holds our tears in a bottle because we are so precious to Him. We discover that He makes a way through the wilderness of our stress. He pulls us up from the waters of our sorrow, refusing to let us drown in seas of turmoil. When we search for Him. we discover all He has to offer. We discover that He truly is our everything to get us through anything. We must search to discover.
There is a story of two little girls playing together. One little girl said she didn’t feel very well. The other little girl said she would pray for her to feel better. The following conversation took place:
“What does pray mean?”
“It means talking to God.”
“Is God listening?”
“God is always listening. He loves you. God loves everybody and He wants to help everybody, but not everybody lets Him.”
“I want to let Him. I want to talk to Him but I don’t know what to say.”
“That’s easy . Just say, ‘Thank you for loving everybody. Thank you for listening to me. Please help me. Please help everybody.’ Amen.”
“What’s Amen?”
That’s just like saying, ‘The End.'”
“Okay. I’ll do it. ‘God, thank you for loving everybody. Thank you for listening to me. Please help me. Please help everybody. Amen. Oh, P.S. I love you, too.'”
The first little girl smiled. “That’s nice,” she said. “Probably not everybody remembers the P.S. but that’s like the most important part. Everybody likes to know that someone loves them.”
“Yes,” said the second little girl. “If I ask God for His help, and if He is listening to me all the time, and if He wants to help everybody, then I can at least tell Him ‘thank you,’ and ‘I love you.'”
“Yes,” said the first little girl, “Let’s never forget the P.S. It must make God feel good all over. It surely makes me feel good all over, too, just thinking about it.”
“Yeah,” said the second little girl as she smiled, looked into the sky, and shouted, “P.S.P.S.P.S.!”
It can happen at any moment with no pre-warning. Jack just comes up to me, extends his paw to my arm and gently pulls. Jack wants a tummy rub. I comply. I don’t mind. In fact, it endears him to me even more, touching the part of my heart that oozes with love for him. I actually adore, as every loving pet owner does, doing what I know makes Jack happy. Sometimes, even if he isn’t asking, I give him a surprise tummy rub. Oh, what pleasure shines from his eyes.
During one recent tummy rubbing episode, I couldn’t help but think of that verse in Isaiah 55:1, “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink — even if you have no money. Come, take your choice of wine or milk — it’s all free!”
There are even times when we don’t actually need something, but we want something. We can come to our Heavenly Father and just ask. Do you simply desire sweet joy of being in His presence? Just ask. Do you want inner peace? Just ask. Do you want courage? Just ask. Do you want guidance? Just ask. Do you want rest of mind? Just ask. Your Father loves to give because He loves helping you and making you happy. He gives you everything you need to get through anything at all for that very reason.
God adores making you smile with pleasure even more than I love doing the same for Jack. So, whatever you are thirsty for today — come to Jesus. Tell Him. Soak in His presence. He is there. He will be what you need — today and everyday.
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