He is Near

Philippians 4:5 says "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." As a mom of two who teaches her kids at home, I struggle on a daily basis with being gentle. I get frustrated when my kids don't listen when I'm talking to them or trying to teach them something. I get upset when they do things they've been told not to do, or don't do things they have been told to do. I get angry when they talk back to me and/or argue with me. This verse really struck me today. The words "The Lord is near" made me realize that He is always with me. He hears everything I say and everything I think. Is He pleased when He hears the way I talk to my kids when I'm frustrated, upset, or angry? Sadly, I realized the answer is no. My words are not always loving and kind, and my heart was grieved when I think of what a poor example I am to my kids. I asked God to forgive me and to help me respond gently to my kids ALL the time. I then went on to do the devotional in "Our Daily Bread".

The first two verses I read in my devotional made me smile. Isaiah 55:6-7 says "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." Did you see the words that made me smile? "He is near." The two different passages I read today were in totally different locations: one was in the New Testament and the other in the Old Testament; yet they both reminded me (and now you) that the Lord is near. Knowing that the Lord is near can be quite a comfort when we are going through a difficult time; but sometimes we forget that He is near when we are behaving in a way we shouldn't be. When we are tempted to say something that isn't nice or do something that we know is wrong, we need to stop and remember that the Lord is near. He sees and hears everything. Our words and actions should always be gentle, loving, and kind. Thankfully when we mess up, our God has mercy on us when we turn to Him and admit that we messed up and/or sinned. He will freely pardon and forgive us. I am so very thankful for His mercy and forgiveness! Aren't you?