Not The Leaving Kind...

It's easy to forget about God when the rest of the world presses in hard around us. Whether you lose someone you love or your workload just seems impossible to handle, life can get pretty tough. I can promise you, though, that when life gets too dark to see the light, feel a hug, or believe there's hope for a brighter tomorrow, God is still there beside us, no matter how dark it seems.

One of my favorite songs by Tenth Avenue North says "I'll be by your side, whenver you fall, in the dead of night, whenever you call." Like God is at all hindered by the junk of this world, yea right! No, God is next to us in the moments we just want to sleep the day away, when we feel worthless, or when it just doesn't seem like life will ever get better. Because, unlike people, who may or may not be there for you, God isn't intimidated by social boundaries-no matter who you are, what you've done, or where you've been, God is always going to be right there beside you as long as you call on His name. As the song says, He's not the leaving kind.

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus gives us an unparalleled promise: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Amen. That's all I can say to that. Because so often I just forget. How is it so easy to forget a God like ours? I really can't wrap my mind around how I can ever let that happen, but I know I do. I know I let the junk of the world crowd my mind and steal the peace that only comes from trusting in God's flawless plan. I forget that the love of my Savior is the only thing I need. And yet, Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." When we seek God, he is right there next to us. He is with us always, all we have to do is look for him and call out to him for help.

I ran across a verse the other day, a whole chapter actually: Psalm 34. It's pretty incredible, not gonna lie. Here's a couple of my favorite verses that have seemed particularly applicable amidst all the drama, tension, stress, and frustration of the last few weeks. Verses 17-18 in the Message version say, "Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath." Now that's a promise I can hold on to. So many verses in the Bible just scream God's love and devotion to his people, but so often I miss them when I could use them the most. Instead I turn to stuff like chick flicks, music, chocolate, or facebook-all cool and awesome things-but never the less, things that have absolutely no power to heal my hurting heart. I really don't know what I'm thinking, when the answer to my troubles lies in an age-old, yet so contemporary, book right next to me, yet I chose to turn on my computer instead.

Despite my stupidity in this area, however, that doesn't mean God gets fed up with me screwing up and calls it quits. Heck no. Quite the opposite. A song by superchick is on my ipod right now. The chorus says, "So stand in the rain, stand your ground. Stand up when it's all crashing down. You stand through the pain, you won't drown." Why won't we drown in all the mess of this life? Because God, Jesus, our Savior, the most Awesome God that was, is, or ever will be loves us so very dearly, and He's not going anywhere. Yea, people always leave, but not our God. If you're crying for help, God is right there, and he is sooooo ready to be your knight in shining armor to the rescue. To get all the love, peace and joy he gives, all we have to do is ask. And you know what's awesome? He doesn't even have to come running-He's been there all along.