Nearness with God

 

Nearness with God: Staying Connected When Life Gets Crazy

John 15:4 (NLT)

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT)

“Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”

Psalm 145:18 (NLT)

“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”

Nearness with God: Staying Connected When Life Gets Crazy

Some days, spending time with God feels peaceful.

The coffee is hot. The house is quiet. We open our Bible, read a few verses, pray, and sit quietly in His presence.

And then there are the other days.

The days when the phone rings, the bills pile up, the car needs gas, the food cupboard calls, someone needs help unloading, there is a long drive to a doctor's appointment, and somewhere in the middle of it all we are trying to remember what day it is!

Those are the days when we may wonder, “Lord, how am I supposed to stay close to You when life is this crazy?”

The beautiful answer is this:

God never asked us to leave our lives behind in order to be close to Him. He simply asks us to bring Him into every part of it.

Closeness with God is not reserved for Sunday mornings, quiet prayer closets, pastors, or people who seem to have their lives neatly organized.

Thank goodness for that!

Because some of us are trying to follow Jesus while unloading food boxes, driving hundreds of miles to appointments, worrying about loved ones, wondering how we will pay the next bill, and occasionally asking, “Lord, are You sure You know what You're doing?”

And God lovingly answers, “Yes, child. Stay close.”

Stay Connected to the Vine

Jesus said:

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”

He compared our relationship with Him to a branch connected to a vine.

A branch doesn't wake up every morning and say, “Today I am going to work really hard at producing grapes!”

It simply stays connected.

The life flows through the vine and eventually produces the fruit.

I love that picture because sometimes we make our relationship with God far too complicated. We think we have to pray perfectly, study enough, understand everything, and somehow become spiritual experts.

But Jesus simply says, “Remain in Me.”

Stay connected.

Talk to Me.

Trust Me.

Come back to Me when you're tired.

Lean on Me when you're afraid.

Don't run away when life gets difficult.

Just remain.

Ross and I have had plenty of opportunities lately to practice that kind of remaining. Honestly, our life sometimes feels like one of those spinning circus plates! We are still working through the situation of getting our electricity back on, trying to make sure there is food on the table, caring for our animals, serving others, and now facing more medical appointments and uncertainty.

Today alone is a perfect example. Ross is off picking up a food cupboard delivery. When they return, I'll head over to help unload. Then we have a ninety-minute drive to see his doctor.

And because a recent fecal test came back positive, they have requested a colonoscopy.

There are moments when life brings information that immediately makes your heart tighten.

You begin thinking about possibilities.

You wonder what comes next.

You wish you had answers before you even have all the questions.

And that is precisely when Jesus whispers:

“Remain in Me.”

Not, “Figure everything out.”

Not, “Don't feel afraid.”

Not, “Have all the answers.”

Just...

Remain.

A branch does not survive by trying harder. It survives by staying connected to its source.

So do we.

Seek God First—Even When Other Things Are Demanding Our Attention

Matthew 6:33 tells us:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else...”

That doesn't mean we ignore our problems.

It doesn't mean bills magically disappear because we prayed.

It doesn't mean medical tests aren't important or that we shouldn't prepare for tomorrow.

Seeking God first means that before fear gets the final word, God gets the first word.

Before panic takes over, we pray.

Before assuming the worst, we remember who is holding us.

Before we spend the entire day trying to control things beyond our control, we surrender them to the One who actually can.

I think that is one of the hardest lessons of faith.

We naturally want to manage everything.

We want answers.

We want timelines.

We want guarantees.

We want God to hand us a complete itinerary showing exactly where this road is going!

But God often gives us something different.

He gives us Himself.

And somehow, when we truly put Him first, we begin to realize that His presence is more valuable than having all the answers.

Jesus didn't promise that we would always understand the road.

He promised to walk it with us.

Seek His Strength Throughout the Day

1 Chronicles tells us:

“Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”

I love that word—continually.

Not just in church.

Not just during morning devotions.

Not just when disaster strikes.

Continually.

That means we can talk to God while driving.

We can pray while washing dishes.

We can whisper, “Lord, help me,” while sitting in a doctor's office.

We can thank Him while unloading boxes at the food cupboard.

We can ask for strength while facing another bill we don't know how to pay.

We can simply say, “Lord, I'm tired,” and know that He hears us.

Sometimes the most powerful prayers are not long and beautifully worded.

Sometimes they are simply:

“Jesus, I need You.”

And isn't that really the heart of staying close to God?

Learning that we don't have to schedule an appointment with Him.

He is already there.

In the car.

In the waiting room.

In the kitchen.

In the garden.

In the middle of the mess.

In the middle of the fear.

In the middle of our questions.

God is there.

Come to Him Honestly

Psalm 145:18 says:

“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”

I believe this is one of the most comforting verses in Scripture.

God wants honesty.

He doesn't expect us to come to Him pretending everything is fine.

We don't have to put on our Sunday smile and say, “Praise the Lord, everything is wonderful!” when our heart is breaking.

God already knows.

He knows when we are afraid.

He knows when we are discouraged.

He knows when we are exhausted.

He knows when we are anxious.

He knows when we are waiting for an answer that hasn't come yet.

And He invites us to bring all of that to Him.

Not the polished version.

The real version.

Sometimes my prayers are full of faith and confidence.

Other times they sound more like, “Okay, Lord... I have absolutely no idea how we are going to get through this one, but I'm trusting You anyway.”

And you know what?

That is still faith.

Faith isn't pretending we aren't scared.

Faith is taking God's hand while we are scared.

It isn't denying the storm.

It is trusting that Jesus is still in the boat.

God Is Closer Than We Think

Perhaps today you feel far from God.

Maybe life has become so busy, painful, or overwhelming that you haven't felt His presence lately.

Please remember this:

Feeling distant from God does not mean He has moved.

Sometimes we are simply so distracted by the noise around us that we forget to look for Him.

But He is there.

Still close.

Still listening.

Still strengthening.

Still providing.

Still guiding.

Still loving.

Still working in ways we cannot yet see.

The branch doesn't need to understand how the vine sends life into every part of it.

It simply needs to remain connected.

Maybe that is our lesson today.

We don't need to understand everything.

We don't need to know what tomorrow holds.

We don't need to solve every problem before bedtime.

We simply need to stay connected to Jesus.

One prayer at a time.

One day at a time.

One breath at a time.

One step at a time.

And when life gets especially crazy—and believe me, Ross and I understand crazy—we can stop right in the middle of it all and say:

“Lord, I am still here. And more importantly, You are still here. Help me remain in You.”

That is nearness with God.

Not escaping life.

But walking through every part of it with the One who promised never to leave us.

A Little Something to Think About

Today, ask yourself:

Am I trying to carry something alone that God is asking me to bring to Him?

Have I been so busy managing my problems that I have forgotten to rest in His presence?

What would change today if I simply paused throughout the day and remembered, “God is right here with me”?

You don't have to become more impressive to get closer to God.

You don't have to have perfect faith.

You don't need perfect prayers.

You simply need to remain.

Stay connected to the Vine.

Seek Him first.

Look for His strength throughout the ordinary moments.

And come to Him honestly.

Because the wonderful truth is this:

The God we are seeking is not far away.

He is already near.

Let's Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being a God who is always near. Thank You that we do not have to have perfect words, perfect faith, or perfect lives to come into Your presence. You simply ask us to come.

Lord, help us remain connected to You when life becomes busy, difficult, and overwhelming. When fear begins to rise, remind us to seek You first. When we are tired, be our strength. When we are uncertain, be our peace.

Today, I especially lift up all those facing difficult circumstances, financial struggles, health concerns, medical tests, and unanswered questions. You know every need before we even speak it. Please provide what is needed and give us strength for the road ahead.

Father, I lift up Ross and myself to You today. As we travel to his appointment and face the uncertainty surrounding his health, please go before us. Give wisdom to his doctors, peace to our hearts, and courage for whatever lies ahead. We place the results, the questions, and our fears into Your loving hands.

And Lord, as we continue working to get our electricity restored and meet the everyday needs of our household, remind us that You are still faithful. Help us not to become overwhelmed by what we cannot control. Instead, teach us to remain in You.

Thank You for walking beside us in the ordinary moments and carrying us through the difficult ones.

Help us remember today that we are never alone.

In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in 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 💛 

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