HE IS NEAR

SURELY WE HAVE HAD A MOMENT OR TIME IN OUR LIVES WHEN IT WAS SO BAD THAT THINGS SEEMED AS THOUGH THEY WOULD NEVER GET BETTER ...... OR STILL YET WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED THE HEARTFELT PAIN OF LOSING SOMEONE THAT WE LOVE ...... AND THEN THERE WERE THOSE NIGHTS WE COULD NOT SLEEP BECAUSE OF GUILT, WORRY OR LONELINESS ...... WE MAY EVEN BE SUFFERING THROUGH ONE OF THESE SITUATIONS RIGHT NOW ...... WE MAY BEGIN TO WONDER WHAT IS SO GOOD ABOUT GOD BEING GOOD ?...... IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES , PSALM 73 : 28 STATES , "But as for me , the nearness of GOD is my good ; I have made the LORD GOD my refuge , That I may tell of all YOUR works. " WHEN WE EXAMINE THIS LINE OF SCRIPTURE IT TELLS US THAT GOD ALONE IS GOOD ...... HE IS THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD ...... HIS NEARNESS IS ENOUGH FOR US ....... HE IS ALWAYS THERE , NEAR TO US , IN GOOD TIMES AND IN IN BAD ...... HIS PRESENCE IS ALL WE NEED WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT ......AS CHRISTIANS WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NEVER TRULY ALONE ......THE LORD GOD SAYS , "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them , for the LORD your GOD goes with you ; HE will never leave you nor forsake you . " DEUTERONOMY 31:6 ......WE ARE CALLED TO PERSEVERE WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH TIMES IN OUR LIVES THAT TEST OUR FAITH ...... " Let us draw near to GOD with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith , having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water . " HEBREWS 10:22...... WE CAN REST IN THE SECURITY OF OUR SALVATION BECAUSE JESUS SACRIFICED HIS LIFE SO THAT WE MAY HAVE ETERNAL FREEDOM IN HEAVEN WITH HIM , OUR FATHER GOD AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT ..... THE REALITY OF IT IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE LIVE HERE FOR NOW OUR FOREVER HOME IS IN HEAVEN ...... "Therefore , since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens , JESUS the SON of GOD , let us hold firmly to the faith we profess . For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses , but we have one who has been tempted in every way , just as we are - yet was without sin . Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence , so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need . " HEBREWS 4:14-16 ...... THE WORD OF GOD SHEDS LIGHT ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHILE WE ARE HERE IN THIS WORLD ...... THE SCRIPTURES ALSO REVEAL HOW WE NEED TO LIVE , WHETHER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN OUR LIVES ARE GOING GOOD OR BAD ....... KNOWING THAT OUR LORD NEVER LEAVES US NOR FORSAKES US SETS A PRECEDENCE FOR US TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH OURSELVES AND ASK A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION ..... ARE WE NEAR TO HIM ?............. SUMMER