“But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.”~ Hebrews 11:6, AMP
“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’” ~ Acts 17:27-28, NLT
“The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The eyes of all look to You in hope;
You give them their food as they need it.
When You open Your hand,
You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in everything He does;
He is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on Him,
yes, to all who call on Him in truth.” ~ Psalm 145:14-18, NLT
“Is there any place I can go to avoid Your Spirit?
to be out of Your sight?
If I climb to the sky, You’re there!
If I go underground, You’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
You’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, He even sees me in the dark!
At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to You;
night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to You.” ~ Psalm 139:7-12, MSG
God is near — as near as my next breath
O Lord, You are the God who sees me and knows all about it. How can it be? What manner of love is this? You are not a god that is afar off — no. You are a God who is as near as my next breath. I am overwhelmed by Your love … I am overcome with thankfulness.
I love You, Lord. Thank You for holding my hand as I wander through valleys on my way to the mountaintop. Thank You for being a shield about me — a sentinel, a guard — when the enemy would do me harm. I am safe in You, for You are a very present help in trouble. You draw near at the mention of Your Name.
By faith, I walk with You in the light of Your glory. By faith, I believe You are all that You say You are. And by faith, I recognize Your breath in the wind as You draw near me. I look for You in hope … open my eyes that I might see.
Thank You, God, for being near when I call on You
You promise to be close to those who need You, who seek You with our whole hearts. I need You, Lord. Even though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, I will trust in You. I will hide myself in You and be kept in peace.
I praise You, Lord … I bless Your holy Name. Thank You for Your presence, for Your Love. You are an awesome God.
In Jesus’s Name I pray,
Amen ~ let it be so
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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly a nan@nanjones.com
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down, and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
Thank you for this timely message Nan, as always I continue to hold you and David up in prayer. My daughter Katie, still living in Reno, has recently professed on Facebook to be an atheist. I told her in my reply that I believe she is actually an agnostic, and of course once again professed my faith and that I love her. I will continue to witness to her and hold her up in prayer—she’s still on medication for her schizophrenia. Thanks Nan
So many young people are searching for truth. They are filled with disillusionment and disappointment because of world events. It breaks my heart. Their common question seems to be “How could a loving God allow this to happen?” We all ask that at some times in our lives, but the more we seek after God the more we find Him, and know Him. The Lord promised that in this world we will have tribulation. Suffering is part of living in a fallen world. His promise is to be with us in the suffering, in the heartbreak, and lead us home to a glorious eternal life with Him. It sounds like you handled her “atheistic confession” well. This battle is best fought on our knees while remaining a safe haven for our loved one. I will pray for Katie about this, asking the Lord to open her ears to hear His delicate whisper calling her name, and asking Him to bring another young person across her path — one that she will see visible evidence of faith. Hold fast while God works. He hears us when we pray.