The practice of hospitality

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13

My wife is a avid user and lover of Pinterest.  She loves it for the recipes, birthday ideas, and all the other unique resources and ideas it offers. The ideas are great, as they aid in allowing you to step up your hospitality game and other points of interest.  But for the sake of this conversation I want to deal with the topic of hospitality, as our culture makes “hospitality” and “entertaining” interchangeable words, when in reality, they’re not. I believe many of us don’t obey the hospitality command because we’re actually thinking of entertaining.

Ultimately, entertaining is for the glory of self and is about impressing our guests. If our aim is to impress others, then we feel the pressure to have the newest decor line from Target and a 5-star worthy meal. Dear friends, Scripture never calls us to have a spotless home. It never calls us to throw birthday parties so extravagant it puts ourselves and wallets under stress.

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9).

Biblical hospitality is what Rosaria Butterfield calls, “radically-ordinary hospitality.” While entertaining focuses on self, biblical hospitality focuses on others. When we’re participating in the hospitality God calls us to, the mindset is no longer, “How can I make myself look good?,” but “How can I make others feel loved?”

In The Gospel Comes With a House Key, Rosaria says hospitality is, “using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God.” Satan tempts us to live for the glory of self. He reminds us our recipes aren’t fancy or our walls need a fresh coat of paint, and we shrink back from the hospitality God commands. When we replace this lie with truth, there’s beautiful freedom. When I view my home as a gift from God to steward for his Kingdom (and not mine), the pressure is lifted. When using this gift is about loving others well instead of making myself look good, I don’t worry so much about the juice stain on my couch.

This world isn’t our home. Our money and possessions will one day fade. The question is, will we use these fading things for the unfading glory of God? Will we use them to build our kingdom that will one day crumble, or God’s Kingdom that’s eternal? May we open our hearts, homes, and grocery lists in radically ordinary ways, so others will see the radical love of Christ. 

“Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us” (Acts 16:14-15).

Steady Faithfulness

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3

When I was a child one of my favorite stories to have my parents read to me was the story of the tortoise and the hare.  I like many of you loved that story. I can still remember the feeling of shock and wonder as the tortoise crossed the finish line and won the race, much to the surprise of the hare and anyone who’s ever heard the story. Why? Because every indicator points to the hare’s certain victory. Yet, simple as the story may be, it contains within it several profound lessons: It’s not how you start but how you finish. Do not over estimate yourself or your abilities. Do not despise how God has made you. Victory is found in steady faithfulness, tending to the gifts you have been given. That’s a lot of wisdom for such a simple wonderful classic bed time story.

In Galatians chapter 3, Paul offers a strong word of correction to a group of Christians that started their faith journey well, yet were now fading and falling away halfway through the race. To their credit, they began the journey where each of us must begin- empowered and excited by the life-giving Spirit of God. Life in the Spirit is the only hope we have of finishing well. We know this to be true because the Spirit is not only our strength and power but he is the goal and destination itself. Our final destination is communion with the Holy Trinity, and God begins that work of relationship right here and now, guiding our steps to this perfect end.

Yet, like the Galatians of old, how tempting is it for us to turn away from the life of faith and trust and take matters into our own hands? Though the law was unable to deliver the life it pointed to, it was safe and secure. Freedom in the Spirit is a process of transformation, and change is disorienting and uncomfortable. When you and I feel unsettled and vulnerable, we are tempted to grasp for the known and familiar, rarely stopping to ask if it is actually for our good!

The life of faith asks of us stability and faithful trust, day in and day out. We must resist the urge to rush ahead and trust in our own abilities and natural reason, learning from the folly of the hare. Instead, if we can learn to be attentive to God’s still small voice, following the Spirit as he leads, we will, like the wise tortoise, journey with peace along the way and unspeakable joy as we reach our final destination.

Three pandemics

Right now, we are in the middle of multiple, simultaneous pandemics. In fact, we are facing dual pandemics: a medical pandemic and a cultural pandemic. Yet, deeper still and at the root of both of these, is a spiritual pandemic.

We have wandered far from the value system established by God for how human beings are to live, act and relate to one another. Across racial and class lines, we have come up with our own standards for how we treat each other, and it has not done us any good.

The solution starts in understanding how the world works. We gain one of our greatest insights into this through reading 2 Chronicles chapter fifteen. In this passage, we see that when the spiritual principles are placed aside, there is no peace in the culture. In fact, it clearly states in verse six,

“Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress” (emphasis added).

The Israelites had so hardened their hearts toward God and rebelled against His righteous rule, that He initiated an ongoing state of distress. Now, if God is your problem, it doesn’t matter what programs you come up with, because only God is your solution.

The root of the problems we face in our nation today are clearly spiritual. It’s only when we identify and understand the spiritual components that we are then able to translate them to the pragmatic realities of the cultural crisis at hand. Sometimes it takes a mess to make a miracle. God has been known to allow chaos for the purposes of creating a heartfelt calling by His people to Him for help. When we appeal to Him according to His kingdom rule, He is then able to re-introduce Himself into the scenario and usher in the healing we so desperately need.

Everyone knows what it’s like to suffer for a long time from stomach pains only to later throw up and feel better relatively quickly. The throwing up is a messy situation, but the reason you feel better afterwards is because you have purged the toxins.

There are a lot of toxins in our culture today. We have toxins of injustice, toxins of racism and toxins of hate. We have a multiplicity of toxins coagulating in the same space at the same time. But if we miss the reality that God has allowed this in order to bring about a correction and a cleaning, then we will just move from one symptom to another symptom. We will miss the opportunity to address the root that has produced the fruit which has led to the confusion of hopelessness on display.

God has spoken on the issues at hand, and He has not stuttered. He has spoken about racism. He has spoken about systemic and individual injustices. He has spoken about classism. He has spoken about culturalism. He has spoken about politics. He has spoken about freedom. He has spoken about equity, elitism, indulgences, empathy and more. God has spoken about all of these subjects. But until we align our hearts, thoughts, words and actions underneath His overarching rule based on what He has said, we are living in rebellion.

What many people do today, unfortunately, is pick and choose what they will obey. As a result, we are experiencing a dearth of kingdom disciples who observe all that He has commanded, not just the parts they like. From God’s throne come both righteousness and justice. These are not see-saw’s to go up and down on. Rather, these are twins who are joined at the hip. You don’t skip justice and call for righteousness. Likewise, you don’t skip righteousness in the name of justice. We are called to a higher calling, that of following the whole counsel of God.

Why do we have all of these churches with all of these leaders and all of these believers but still have all of this mess? Because we have failed to bring God’s perspective to bear on the situation. If we are to ever fix this madness and solve this mess—on these issues of injustice, the pain of our shared history and the systems which perpetuate inequity generationally—it will only be due to a right response, collectively as His body, based on God’s Word.

It is absolutely clear right now that there needs to be a reset. This is a defining moment for us as citizens to decide whether we want to be one nation under God or a divided nation apart from God. If we don’t answer that question correctly and if we don’t answer it quickly, we won’t be much of a nation at all.

Thank you for standing with us as a ministry especially in this season as we so desperately need your thoughts, encouragement, prayers and support. We are in this together.

No worries

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25

As I write these words, our nation currently has the highest unemployment rate it has seen since the Great Depression, with many experts expecting the number to continue to swell. Not to mention several hard hit states with over 30% of the labor force out of work. In addition to this, countless millions more, while still employed, face reduced wages or the very real threat of job loss. While this moment is unquestionably a threat to our stability and general well being, it also threatens to derail our trust in God’s ability to provide for us when we are unable to provide for ourselves.

We live in a culture that has long denied the existence of spiritual realities. We trust what can be seen, measured, and observed, and see any connection between the physical and spiritual worlds as a medieval carry over that we’ll be free from soon enough. In an effort to push back against this impulse, religious people often swing the pendulum too far in the other direction, saying all that matters is the spiritual world, and we make the error of separating out the two, with God and his spiritual world up there, and the real everyday world of creation down here.

I point these realities out because it is incredibly easy to make this mistake when reading Jesus’ words about God’s provision. When he says “Do not worry about your life,” he is not saying “your life and physical needs are of no concern to me.” Similarly, when he says in verse 33 to “seek first the Kingdom of God,” this is not meant to be understood in some disembodied way. What then is going on here?

Jesus reminds us of what we are prone to forget: that we are made in the image of God and destined to reign with him for eternity. While creaturely needs are important and not to be dismissed, you and I are not defined by our appetites and desires. Your hunger does not dominate you and your vulnerabilities do not control you. Yet we not only easily forget this truth, but we behave in ways that betray our true natures. We become beastly creatures, obsessed with our own comfort, pleasure, and security, and in times of great uncertainty this impulse is only heightened. Yet Jesus reminds us that this does not have to be so.

How would you live differently if you truly knew God would meet your every need? How would your vision of the world and your place in it change if you were free from believing that your greatest need in life was securing access to material comforts? How might it change your very view of yourself and of God?

If we believe material provision is the greatest need we face in life, when it is compromised or threatened, so too is our own sense of worth or value. We feel shameful and diminished as humans, and assume our Lord sees us the same way. Yet Jesus at every turn in this passage longs for us to remember the goodness, mercy, and love of our Father in heaven, who gently and tenderly cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. Our Lord will not only meet our physical needs, he in his kindness will remind us that we are physical beings being made ready for his Kingdom. And so, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”

Your loved

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

Everyone alive has been created to love and be loved. Because we’ve been made for love, I guess you could say we’re all desperate for love. And because we’re desperate for love, it’s amazing what we’ll do to try to get love.

We try to get love by being thinner, smarter, or nicer. We try to get it by having bigger biceps, or by making more money. We try to get love by having the most impressive resume, the most impressive wardrobe, or the most impressive home.

Because acceptance feels like love, we may make the mistake of trying to get love in many ways that just don’t work. If you’re beautiful according to the world’s definition, or if you have loads of money, you may receive more attention. You may get strokes that make you feel more lovable or more important. You may feel validated and accepted.

But here’s the truth: You can never experience a true sense of worth or peace through achievements, success, good looks, or by manipulating others by being nice.

If you try to get the love you need through these unproductive ways of relating, you’ll always be in a panic; you’ll never be able to internally rest. Why? Because, you’ll always feel you need to prove your worth through something external, one more time. You’ll feel the stress to stay beautiful, grow your bank account, or always have the best kids, to feel loved.

This will only bring insecurity, turmoil, and fear. To experience the love you want, you simply need to know and accept this one thing:

You are already loved. Nothing can change this truth. It’s immutable, just as God himself is immutable.

If you are beautiful and feel good about yourself, wonderful! But you don’t need to try to get your worth from your looks. If God has gifted you with riches, wonderful! But, you don’t need to tie your worth to money.

If you have a fantastic job in which your skills are highlighted and your colleagues admire you, great! But you do not need to tie your sense of worth to your achievements.

Why?

Because you are already loved. You already are valuable. You already have what you want.

That’s it. That’s all. End of story.

When you embrace the truth that you are loved, you can breathe a sigh of relief. No more fear. No more striving. Just rest, because nothing can take away the truth that you are loved or that you have immense value.

What great news. 

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing."  (Psalm 23:1)

Joy & happiness

As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you—in person, not in heart—we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Yes, you are our glory and joy! 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

While we always read Scripture from within a particular context and moment in history, there are times in which it seems almost impossible to not read our present reality into a past moment. For example, when we read the Apostle Paul’s words about being separated from those he loves in person but not in heart.  Quick question how many of us  in 2020 cannot relate to this sentiment? I imagine we have all seen heartwarming images during this pandemic of loved ones who are separated in body, but creatively showing their love and affection for one another in heart. I think of the parade of cars driving past loved one’s homes on their birthdays, graduations, or anniversaries. Even when we are forced apart, our hearts remain deeply connected with those we love.

Self-care is an important and essential part of human flourishing. We must learn to tend to God’s renewing work inside of us as we are remade and reborn as children in his kingdom. And yet, regardless of what we are often told, true joy and fulfillment is not found simply in our own self-satisfaction. There is a greater and deeper life that is only found when we give ourselves away for the good of others.

Joy and happiness is found when we invest in others and see them become the people they are purposed and destined to be. Though the Apostle Paul had certainly been personally transformed by the love of God in Jesus, this was not his hope or joy. What was you ask? Seeing that transformation in the lives of his friends, and all he came into contact with. Their new life in Christ was his great joy and source of abiding hope, and it is meant to be ours as well.

In order to know the joy that Paul speaks of, we must be willing to first do the hard work of living and loving for the sake of others. What does it look like for you to truly give your life away, without expecting anything in return? It is so easy to live out of mixed motives, doing good for another yet still mindful of the benefit that comes back our way. Yet what a gift it would be to long to see someone face to face for no other reason than to see them living life as God made it to be lived, and that alone being for you and me a deep well of unspeakable joy.

Overcoming struggles

The battle to overcome your emotional struggles is a battle for your mind. If you are worrying, stressed out and depressed, it is because you are thinking things that are not true.

In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul writes,

“…for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

It is not our flesh that we fight but rather our minds and what Satan tries to do to our minds. One of Satan’s favorite strategies is to plant his thoughts in your mind so completely that you come to believe they are your thoughts, so you will begin to act on these thoughts.

This strategy of Satan may get you to ask the question, “Well, how can I be blamed for acting on these thoughts if they are not mine?” Friend, you are not responsible for every thought that comes into your head. But you are responsible for how you act on it. This is why we are to take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

When a thought comes seeking to lure you deeper into worry, doubt, anger, hatred, shame or more, you have two choices. You can reject it, or you can adopt it and make it your own. When you reject these thoughts, you free yourself to focus on the Spirit.

If you will set your mind on the things of the Spirit, you will have both life and peace. You will also have purpose, meaning and joy. With the Holy Spirit governing your thoughts, external circumstances do not dictate your responses. If you want to overcome your emotional struggles, change your thoughts. If you seek to be set free from that which holds you hostage, then set your mind on God’s truth.

Freed

The battle to overcome our emotional struggles is a battle for our mind. If we fine ourselves worrying, stressed out and depressed, it is because we are thinking things that are not true. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul writes,“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

It is not our flesh that we fight but rather our minds and what Satan tries to do to our minds. One of Satan’s favorite strategies is to plant his thoughts in our mind so completely that we come to believe they are our thoughts, so we will begin to act on these thoughts.

This strategy of Satan may get you to ask the question, “Well, how can I be blamed for acting on these thoughts if they are not mine?” Friend, you are not responsible for every thought that comes into your head. But you are responsible for how you act on it. This is why we are to take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

When a thought comes seeking to lure us deeper into worry, doubt, anger, hatred, shame or more, we have two choices. We can reject it, or we can adopt it and make it our own. When we reject these thoughts, we free ourself to focus on the Holy Spirit.

If we will set our mind on the things of the Spirit, we will have life, peace, and joy. we will also find and have purpose. With the Holy Spirit governing our thoughts, external circumstances do not dictate our responses. If you want to overcome your emotional struggles, change your thoughts. If you seek to be set free from that which holds you hostage, then set your mind on God’s truth and be free.

Stay with us a while

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. Luke 24:28-29

I don't know about you, but at times I find myself uncomfortable with the messiness of life. This is true of relationships with other people, and it is especially true of my relationship with God. I have a high appreciation for order, reverence, process, and clarity. However, when I read the well-known story of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus, it shakes up my preference for neat and tidy spirituality. The road to Emmaus is a story of messy faith. Jesus enters into a very raw and vulnerable space, and heals people who are filled with doubts and confusion and aren’t even clear on who He is.

It’s easy to miss this fact. We assume by this point in the story they know that it is Jesus walking with them, but that clarity doesn’t come until they share a meal together. Yet even in their confusion, their hearts begin to burn within them, they are coming alive as they spend time with this man, so they “urge him strongly” to stay. I wonder what it might look like for us to urge Jesus to stay with us a little while, even when we lack clarity?

You do not have to have all your questions answered in order to have a meaningful encounter with the Lord. Rather than being troubled by this fact, I’m learning more and more to embrace it and receive it as a gift. When I see the truth in this, it frees me to have and give grace to others, and grace for myself. It is liberating to realize that I don’t have to have it all figured out in order to follow Jesus. In fact, if I’m honest, my heart is often filled with doubts, and uncertainties, and if I wait until they are all gone, I may never actually know the joy of being with Jesus, and experiencing His power, provision, and hand in my life.

Can you be so bold as to invite Jesus into the unruly and uncertain parts of your life? Undoubtedly, you are more aware of these than ever before. Over the past few weeks and months, you’ve likely had to confront your own failure to trust God with your present and your future. You’ve failed to love your spouse, kids, or close friends the way they long to be loved. Maybe you’re wrestling with a general sense of shame and guilt, wondering why you’re not as productive and fruitful as you want to be?

Whatever your struggle may be, it is easy to say “Jesus wants nothing to do with me until I can sort this thing out.” Yet here’s the problem with that line of thinking: Jesus is the only way you’re going to sort it out, so to exclude him from the problem is to remove any hope for a solution! Jesus enters into the messiness of our lives and speaks peace and freedom. And so, like these first disciples, today we boldly pray, “Stay with us a little while”

He cares

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

God cares about you. He cares about your job; He cares about your fears; He cares about your spouse; He cares about your children; He cares about your parents; He cares about your worries; He cares about your finances; He cares about your car and your house; He also cares about your character, and He cares about you caring about Him and caring for others. He is a caring God.

You cannot out-care God. His capacity to care is infinite and his competence to care is matchless. You can care because He cares. There is no care of yours that God does not care about. If it is important to you, then God cares about it. Yes, you will experience misdirected cares, but God’s desire is to come alongside you and realign your cares with what He cares about the most. He cares enough to bear your anxieties and to replace them with His peace and assurance.

When you give God your worries, you in turn, receive His calming presence. God’s system of care is countercultural. God transforms your cares into what He cares about; so cast your cares on Christ. Equally spiritual people may cast their cares on God in polar opposite ways. One may find release in a quiet written prayer, while another may feel cared for by God through raucous worship. Let another’s processing of anxiety be a guide, not a guilty comparison.

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Psalm 55:22, NLT).

You know God cares immensely. So how do you cast your cares on Him? By faith, you let Him care. He cares and can be trusted. Therefore, allow Him to do what He does best. You allow Him to care for you. This takes humility on your part. You are acknowledging a desperate need for God. Your declaration of dependence is two-fold. You admit you are anxious, and can’t handle your worry alone.

You submit to the fact that only God can handle this level of concern. Hence, your submission to God allows His care to consume your anxieties. Your care-giving to God is recurring. Over time, He helps bring your feeble faith and misguided mind into focus on Him. What started out as a burden, He transforms into a blessing. Your pain becomes productive.

You become free to care for others because He has freely cared for you. Your perspective takes on a heavenly flavor. Do not wait until matters get worse before you offload on the Lord. Go to God first because He cares the most. Let bad news travel fast because He already knows. An all-caring God cultivates a carefree attitude. The more you allow Him to care about your worries, the less you have to care about. Then you can focus your care on people and eternal issues.

Let God be consumed with your cares so you are not. Then you can lead others to your all-caring Christ. Care for them as Jesus does. Your care will lead to His care. This is the beauty of the circle of care. You do it right, and they will want your God. You care for others, and they will want the God that cares for you. Keep your caring Christ-centered. You care because He cares. You can care because you have let Him care for you. Keep the circle of care rotating.

Do not grow weary of caring; He doesn’t. He cares for you. Therefore, give Him your cares and experience His care. Christ is your number one caregiver.

His table of provision

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:5-6, ESV

I’m reading this verse over and over. God provides for and protects me in full view of my enemies.

For a shepherd, the table was a high plateau, or mesa, where the flock would spend the summer months. It took some preparation and the shepherd would go several times to remove poisonous weeds, clear away rocks, check out water supplies and resting places. The preparation was done with the full knowledge the wild predators were watching the movement of the flock, just waiting for the time to attack.

We are always in danger of attack – something is out to get us. Who among us will not remember COVID 19, or the terms "sheltering in place" or "social distancing." We are being attacked. Our world is under attack.

The word of God refers to Satan as a “roaring lion” always looking for someone to devour. Despite this news, I know a “table” is prepared for us in the presence of our enemy. Oh, the enemy of our soul is real and present, but the feast of God’s presence overpowers any and all attacks. 

You might say it was the daily anointing of oil that slowly healed us. The shepherd would apply oil to the noses of his sheep to keep away a certain, dangerous fly. If this fly was not deterred, the inflammation could cause the animal to go blind or even kill itself by thrashing its head on the ground. I can relate to the sheep here as there were many thrashing days when I needed a double dose of God’s anointing oil.

Staying close to our heavenly Shepherd is the only way to overcome the attacks of the roaring lion. Staying close is the only way to remain at the table and be nurtured by God’s provision.

L.B. Cowan who penned "Streams in the Desert" wrote, “We often pray to be delivered from afflictions, and even trust God that we will be. But we do not pray for Him to make us what we should be while in the midst of the afflictions. Nor, do we pray that we would be able to live within them, for however long they may last, in complete awareness that we are held and sheltered by the Lord and can therefore continue within them without suffering any harm.”

Here’s one more thought…we are all invited to the prepared table because God gave us His only Son. (John 3:16) We have been invited to the feast of His fellowship. And if we receive that fellowship and accept it in gratitude and humility, we then can continue in our afflictions.

May we walk with Christ to the Cross in gratitude for his invitation to the table. God, help us to live within our afflictions, knowing we are sheltered by you. Help us to embrace them, trusting that by doing so, they can be transformed into something that gives you glory.

God with us

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

As millions around the world have spent weeks in isolation, sheltering in place for the good of their vulnerable neighbors and society as a whole, many of us have undoubtedly battled feelings of loneliness and isolation. We feel cut off from those we love and the normal life-giving daily rhythms that we once took for granted. And as true as this may be, the Lord wants us to remember that we are never alone.

Now, some of you reading this will say, “Trust me, I know that I’m not alone! In fact, all I want is 5 minutes to myself without a child climbing on me, or attacking their siblings, or telling me they can’t get their school lessons to work on the computer.” For many, this pandemic has forced us into close proximity with those we love, learning to honor and respect one another in close quarters and with increased anxiety. Yet others of you feel the exact opposite, desperate for human touch and connection. Whatever your reality is right now, in the truest and deepest sense of the word, we must cling to the truth that we are never alone because our Lord is always with us, driving out fear and giving us courage.

In Romans 8:14, Paul reminds us, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” This verse is both a statement of identity and direction. We are beloved children of God, yet we are also led by the Holy Spirit, especially in times of great need. This is good news for us today! The Holy Spirit is with you in your exhaustion and isolation. And not only is he with you, but he is leading you and will continue to lead you in the days and weeks to come.

In fact, we must remember that the entire movement of salvation is a journey from isolation into community, community with God and with one another. If God in Jesus can heal the ultimate isolation that results from our self-imposed exile, he can and will lead us faithfully through this present storm. With great confidence we cling to Joshua’s words, “The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Ever present love

There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. Psalm 14:5

God is present in your predicament. You do not have to pray, “God be with us”. He is there already. He is there because He cares. He is there because you are extremely valuable to Him. God’s cherishes His children. He loves to give His own good gifts (Matthew 7:11). His presence alone is a present. He is present to give wisdom. He is present to give you direction. He is present to give you courage. In His presence there is peace. He is ever present.

God’s presence is there to calm and convict us. His peace is what propels us forward by faith. Do not give up on doing the right thing. Sinful compromise for short term satisfaction never ends well. Why put your family at risk by running after forbidden fruit? God has not left you. He does not wink at wicked deeds. He is right by your side to see you through this sinful temptation. Indeed the fear of God is the fruit of His presence. He reminds us to remain pure.

“How then could I [Joseph] do such a wicked thing and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9)?

His presence is made manifest in a company of Christ followers. It is in community that the Body of Christ is in full expression. Sin pushes us to seclusion. It is an illusion to think we can isolate ourselves from Almighty God. But in authentic community there is nowhere to hide. It is in the presence of committed Christ followers that we feed our faith. Do not fight temptation alone. Tell someone. Reengage with the righteous. This is the presence of God personified.

Stay in the presence of God-fearing followers. This time of engagement with others facilitates our alone time with our Heavenly Father. Stay hard after your Heavenly Father in solitude and prayer. His presence is inviting you into intimacy. Design your life around a daily retreat into His presence. Look into His face and feel His love. In His presence He provides just what we need in the moment. Persevere in prayer without ceasing—be present in God’s presence!

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).