Closer Than Your Next Breath!

When I came into our kitchen this morning I sat at the table for a few moments and simply stared at my computer screen that I had opened up to my Bible Study program.  I finally broke through the blahs and asked the Holy Spirit to open up the eyes and ears of my understanding so that I could receive what the throne room of heaven had for me to learn today.  With that I felt the urging to return to the end of the book of Mark.  When I read the final verse, I was arrested by the thought of Papa God accompanying us through and in His word.

The validity of this statement has become very real to me since we returned from our stay in Oklahoma five years ago.  Very soon after we re-established ourselves in our hometown, it became very apparent as to who was with us and who was not on the same page as us.  As I have mentioned before, I was actually more than just a little surprised at the individuals who fit each of those categories!  Things got so crazy there for a while that we quickly made the decision that we were going to stick with the Word and Papa God’s directions for us no matter what others who we had thought would be part of our support team said, did or worse yet… didn’t do!

The deeper and more dependent we got on the Word, the more evident became the chasm between us and some of the members of our own family.  I remember the pain, frustration and confusion that I felt when I finally realized that we were being abandon by some of those we had hoped would be a part of our strongest allies in our “good fight of faith” ( I Timothy 6:12 KJV).

The lasting message that I did learn though, was that Papa God loves us without any judgment or criticism, for He has told us that “No one will be able to oppose you successfully as long as you live.  I will be with you as I was with Moses.  I will never neglect you or abandon you.” (Joshua 1:5 God’s Word ©)  I have come to understand that this truth becomes ever more clear and intensely more personal and intimate dependent upon the quantity and quality of the Word that you hide in your heart, speak out your lips and live through your daily actions of faith!

Mark 16:20 tells us that “the disciples went everywhere preaching (the Word), the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.”  (The Message Bible) It would seem that as the disciples filled up and then spilled out the Word, the Lord was right there at their sides and validated HIS Word that THEY shared with evidence that could not be contested!  Matthew’s version of this event declared that as they went forth and shared His Word that “I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 The Message Bible)

I’ve heard it said that God in us in the form of the Holy Spirit is closer than our next breath!  Think on that for a moment… that is pretty close, wouldn’t you say?  There have been times at night when I have had the fleeting thought that I was all alone but then I am instantly reminded by that very familiar voice from deep inside of me that He is always with me and will NEVER neglect nor abandon me… no matter how strong and difficult the pressure may become!  People may have abandoned us, but He NEVER has and NEVER will!  The more Word that I put inside of my wife and I, the greater the strength and conviction that this reality becomes to us.

How about you?  How strong is that reality in you?  Is His Word the FIRST thing that you see and/or think of when faced with a difficult situation?  I believe that this is the way that He wants us to operate in our daily lives!  What are your thoughts and experiences with this matter – let me know!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to the reality of His Word working in your life and keep asking yourself… “What or Who’s Word am I expecting today?”