He is NEAR...

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he

increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall

renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like

eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

While we were away on traveling vacation the Lord continually encouraged my husband and I with these verses, it was amazing. He brought these verses into our view as if to say to us... I am HERE with you and I will give you strength. And let me say, we needed it. We were not able to get much sleep or many moments of solitude to just be in His presence to renew our strength like at home. At home you can retreat to your own room and be quiet with Him but during our stay away from home it was difficult to find that time. Butterfly struggled with sleep each evening only allowing a few hours each night and sicknesses plauged us as well as just late nights with family and new friends. When God does this and He does this a lot with me, shows me a verse and then brings it continually to my attention I try to meditate on it and understand what He is trying to show me. Sometimes I don't figure it out, I realize a deep sin in my life that He is convicting me of, sometimes He is just encouraging me in our relationship or guiding me, sometimes He is giving me wisdom for a certain situation or He is just letting me know that He is near and that He is all I need.

I wanted to encourage you today with the reality that God is near and to just encourage you to open your ears and eyes to Him in your day and realize His presence. Be in His word. I believe that God is truly with us, let Him encourage you, lead you, guide you and instruct you in His ways as you walk this sometimes difficult, lonely, overwhelming, stressful path of life and just know that He has not left you here to endure it on your own and with your own strength.

JOYfully in Him,