THE LORD IS NEAR

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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What challenges are before you today?

Where do you need the Lord to act in your life?

What desire in your heart are you ready to being before the Lord?

Stages

At different stages in life we carry very different burdens.

Some challenges in our past seem to pale in the light of today’s trials, and perhaps tomorrow’s battles will cause the scars we receive today to fade into memory. 

Shy

Over and over in my life I have heard people shy away from bringing their challenges, needs, wants, fears and hopes to the Lord in times of real prayer and dedication. Their reason for pulling back from the Lord in these ways usually has something to do with feeling silly. 

When we are facing a trial at work or when a relationship is struggling, it can be tempting to keep your own counsel and not invite the Lord into these hardships because there are so many other issues in the world that seem so much bigger, so much worse. 

•   There is a war going on in Israel and in the Ukraine, how can I worry about my marriage in times like this?
•   There are children going hungry around the world every day, how can I bring my desires for a new or better job to the Lord in light of all of these issues?

I agree, the world has been, is now, and will always be filled with unspeakable and uncountable horrors and atrocities until Christ returns and puts evil in its final state of annihilation. 

Unique

But here is the deal, if the Lord were like you and I, then it would be right for us to hold back from the Lord those things that seem insignificant from 30,000 feet up. 

But guess what? We have a creator that is infinite in power, eternal in nature, unlimited in knowledge, and who is overflowing with grace and mercy as he relates to each and every one of his creation. 

Because the Lord God Almighty is not like you or me, we are all invited into his presence, into a real and significant relationship that is not built on our understanding but on his inexhaustible compassion and unwavering attention. 

So again I ask you:

•   What challenges are before you today?
•   Where do you need the Lord to act in your life?
•   What desire in your heart are you ready to being before the Lord?

Invitation

In the passage that follows we hear an invitation given by the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, to the people of the church. In this invitation all who are willing are called by the Lord to draw close, to come near, to cast all that have in our hands and on our minds into the loving embrace of the Heavenly Father. 

Listen to the invitation being given to you today:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:4-7 NIV11)

Where is the Lord?

The Lord is near. Therefore, celebrate, rejoice, praise God for his ever-present help and his unwavering attention to you. 

Present your requests to God.

Whatever the fear, whatever the source of your anxiety, whatever your circumstance and situation in life, give it to God. Tell him all about it. If you cry, then cry. If you need to shout, then shout. Nothing that you face, fear, or desire is off limits. Bring it to the Lord. 

If you need correction, the Spirit will correct. If you need wisdom, the Spirit will point you to the truth of God’s word. If you need a miracle, ask the only one who can help and rejoice in the knowledge that he will only do what is right and holy. 

He will guard you.

Oh my friend, trust in the Lord. He is at work. What you see is not what is really happening. God is at work in you, through you, and all around you. 

If you will trust the Lord, really trust him, you will find that he is working even now, binding up the broken hearted and setting the captive free. 

Praise the Lord!

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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