God is near

Whatever we're going through in life, God promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

When we sin we often think that God has run out the door as fast as He possibly could. Of course, our sin grieves Him, but it doesn't make Him love us any less or leave us. When He grieves He can at times hide His face from us, but it's never meant to be permanent.

I find the hiddenness of God fascinating. He is always there to be found. We sin, we repent, we find God, His face turns back towards us. It’s a bit like a parent when their children go off course. In one sense you turn your face away at what they're doing, but you're still there for them. You still love them and want the best for them. You haven't disappeared.

God is the One who took the initiative, because of His great love, to come down to this earthly quagmire with all of its brokenness, chaos and rebellion even while we were sinners.

When we are suffering, it can feel, at times, as though God has upped and left. In the first few days following the accident of our son, I had no idea where God had gone, I felt abandoned, yet in my heart of hearts I knew I would find Him again.

For those early disciples, when Jesus told them that He was leaving to prepare a place, going to the Father, they must have felt awful, devastated and fearful. John 14:3;12. But He reassures them...

V18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”

V26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”

The word for helper is ‘parakletos’ which comes from two root words: para meaning ‘by or alongside’ and ‘kaleo’ meaning ‘to call or invite’. So the parakletos is someone invited alongside to help in a needy situation. He is often called to help in a court case as a legal advocate, counsellor or just a friend - a ‘friend in court’. He is someone to encourage and strengthen a person in a hostile court, who can prompt answers when a defendant is stuck for them.

The Holy Spirit/Helper encourages and strengthens us especially in time of need. He reminds us of His Word when we need it the most.

In the early days after our son’s accident, God often encouraged us with a verse or something from His word that kept us going. How we so needed that during a great time of trial.

God's Spirit hovered over the the waters in Genesis 1. It was empty it was void. It was chaos and could be described as empty, disorderly and formless. Our lives can often feel like this especially when suffering deeply. Yet God was present and God spoke, “Let there be…"

May we all know the God who is there no matter what we're facing. May we hear Him say, ‘"Let there be...peace, harmony, order, comfort, My presence."

Prayer. Thank you Father that you don’t leave us in our mess and chaos. You come alongside to help. comfort and stand up for us in our weakness. May we all know that truth in an ongoing way. Amen.