Finding Strength in the Presence of God

Finding Strength in the Presence of God

Scripture 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” (Psalm 105:4)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him...” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1)

Mondays can leave us feeling “crushed in spirit” before the day even begins. Yet today’s scriptures show us not just comfort—but a way forward: lean in, stay rooted, and don’t give up.

God’s Proximity in Pain (Psalm 34:18):

In Hebrew, the word for “close” is qārôb. It doesn’t just mean nearby—it means close enough to touch. When you are “brokenhearted” (šābar), shattered into pieces, God is not distant. He is qārôb—intimately present right in the middle of the wreckage.

David understood this deeply. He wrote these words not from a place of comfort, but after fleeing for his life and humiliating himself just to survive. In that lowest moment, when he felt crushed and undone, he discovered something powerful: God’s presence was not absent in his shame—it was strongest there.

The Source of True Might (Psalm 105:4):

We are told to seek His “strength,” or ‘ōz—a force of security and majesty. And to seek His “face” (pāniym), meaning His personal presence, continually (tāmîd), as a constant posture of the heart.

For Israel, this wasn’t abstract. God’s strength was symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant—His very presence going before them into battle. Seeking His strength means more than thinking about God; it means depending on the living Presence who goes before you into every struggle you face today.

Roots of Confidence (Jeremiah 17:7-8):

The one who is “blessed” trusts (bāṭaḥ) in the Lord. This kind of trust means leaning your full weight on something completely reliable.

Jeremiah spoke these words during a time of crisis, when people were tempted to trust in human solutions. But he paints a different picture: a tree planted by water. Even in drought, it does not wither.

This isn’t a feel-good image—it’s a survival promise. When your roots go deep into God, external heat doesn’t determine your internal strength.

The Persistence of Prayer (Luke 18:1):

Jesus teaches that we should always pray and not give up. The Greek word for pray is proseuchomai—a face-to-face, ongoing conversation with God. And “not give up” comes from ekkakeō, meaning to lose heart or become utterly exhausted.

The parable of the persistent widow shows us something powerful: persistence isn’t about wearing God down—it’s about staying connected. If even an unjust judge responds to persistence, how much more will a loving Father respond to His children?

Prayer is not a last resort—it is your lifeline.

Lord, thank You for being qārôb—close enough to touch—when my heart feels šābar, shattered.

Today, I seek Your ‘ōz (strength) and Your pāniym (face) continually.

I choose to bāṭaḥ—to lean my full weight—on You, trusting that You are my constant stream.

Help me to proseuchomai—to stay in face-to-face conversation with You—so that I do not ekkakeō, lose heart.

Even when I feel weak, remind me that You are near, You are strong, and You are faithful.

In Jesus precious name we pray, Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED, AMEN.

BOBBA

Love, Penny 💛