Feb 13 2022

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

In this afternoon's verse in Psalms, King David asks where he can go from God's spirit. He didn't ask the question because he was trying to run away from God. Rather, he was trying to grasp the extent of what God's presence meant in his life.

God is omnipresent. He's with us everywhere we go. He is in the past, present, and future. There is nowhere we can go that God isn't already there. How does this knowledge affect our lives?

Throughout the Bible, we read about people who tried to move away from God's presence. When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to hide from God. Jonah attempted to flee rather than obey God. But their efforts were to no avail.

God is always present. He never leaves us. The assurance of His presence should bring us comfort, not dread or despair. Because He is still with us, He knows everything about us. There's nothing that is hidden from Him. Our sins and failures are exposed before Him, and yet He loves us unconditionally.

Only a loving God would care enough to be present in every moment we live. He knows what we are facing. As we turn our hearts and lives over to Him, we can be assured that we'll never be alone.

Dear Lord, there are times when I feel lonely. It brings me such comfort to know that despite how I think, I am never alone. You are with me. I also realize that you see the weakest parts of me. I often fail and suffer the consequences of my own actions. But still, you shower me with your grace and love. I'm thankful that you will never leave me nor forsake me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Feb 12 2022

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. :

"Can you do me a favor?"

This question is often posed by friends or family members when they believe we can do something for them. They might ask us to do a task we could easily do, or something that's seemingly impossible. Either way, when someone asks us for a "favor," they have confidence that we can help them.

Now, imagine that this friend or family member who needs a favor never listens to anything we say. In fact, the person does the opposite of whatever we ask them to do.

This afternoon's verse in 1 John addresses the confidence we can have toward God: "whatsoever we ask, we receive of him." We might interpret this as giving us the right to ask for anything we want, even billions of dollars, because it says that if we ask, God will give it to us.

The next part of the verse, however, reveals the true meaning: "because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." We can ask anything of God because we are obedient to what He wants from us. As we grow closer to Him, our hearts and minds conform to God's character. As we focus on Him, we begin to see things through His eyes. Then, we ask for the things that line up with God's Word and receive riches that are according to His will for all of our lives.

God, today I confess that I have confidence in who you are. You have been faithful and good in my life, and I can depend on you. Help me learn and obey your commands. I don't want to be disobedient... I want to follow you with all of my heart. With your guidance, I can ask for what I need according to your will, knowing that you will always provide. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.
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