Dear Brothers and Sisters,

    There is something about a good heavy rain on a summer day. I walked in the downpour, unprepared, yet enjoyed it throughly. The scent of fresh air, meadow grasses, flowers and pines all mixed together. I needed that short break. It stirs so many good memories.

    The brokenness of loss washed off my shoulders. My thoughts turned to God and off my sorrow. I believe it was an answer to my morning prayer as I offered to God my anxiety, sadness and promised to open the present gift that He offers today. Here is what was inside that gift.

    Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent."

    Is your heart sorrowful due to saying goodbye to a loved one? Death comes but then eternity. We will see one another on the other side of this journey.

    Are you sorrowful and your heart is broken? Because of harsh words spoken, being critical instead of giving love or even feeling crushed in repeated sins come, come to the Healer. He is able. Sin brings shame doesn't it? But, the free gift of Jesus Christ brings such healing.

    Psalm 145:18 says, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth."

    That is one thing the Lord requires; a truthful heart. Honestly humble as you and I enter into His presence. I am learning to stay close to Jesus and while I'm there laying down all my stuff, He lifts me up to a place of freedom and renewed joy with a lightness of heart.

    Ephesians 2:13 says, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near."

    God offers us a safe harbor from the storms. Those brief heavy rains that suddenly become life threatening. The unexpected wind and waves filling our boat. We may be saved and have Jesus with us, but it takes faith to calm the sea and bring us safely back to the shore.

    Emotionally I am exhausted. In the last couple of days I have had the unexpected happen. Not that they were bad, just all at once. The Lord is preparing me for the days to come and so even in this I must trust Him. When I am physically weak the emotions are sometimes tougher to deal with.

    God knows and He sees doesn't He? Yes, He does. The Lord is near and He is coming soon! This is what we should want all men to see from our lives. How we apply the Word of Truth to every kind of situation. That is our testimony. God doesn't want us hiding away. As we go out, He sustains us and makes our heart glad.

    Since life is not all about me, I want to let others see Him. In Hebrews 10:22 we can see what staying close to God looks like.

    "Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified form a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water."

    Are we leaning our entire human personality of God? Trusting Him absolutely? Do we have confidence in His power, wisdom and goodness? This is all about God isn't it? What He can do. Who He is. It isn't even about the storm, the emotions, the troubles on our horizon. Today. Today will we choose Him?

    Lord, take my life and bring into your presence. Place in me a desire to stay close to You. That fellowship with You would be my first priority. Then I know when the storms come in their varied strengths, I will be able to have the faith to lean entirely on You. Teach me Lord and forgive me for not coming sooner. I need You and I love You. In Jesus name, amen.

    Hang in there and keep praying. He hears you. God bless you until we meet again. Your sister in Christ, Patricia.

Abundance is...when I draw near to Him