God is Near, Always

Too often in life, quit looks good and sometimes, it may feel like the only option we have. Maybe it’s a relationship turned sour, a financial situation that has gone south, or the medical report(s) does not sound good and while quitting looks good and is easy to do, it is typically not the best decision or the right decision. In fact, often times when quit seems so alluring, it is Satan trapping you into a situation because God has much more ahead.

Remember, if God has brought you to a certain point, He will take you the rest of the way. Nowhere in scripture does God tell us that we have to do things on our own but rather, that He is always with us even when things do not seem right. 1 John 4:13 tells us “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” and John 14:8 reads ”I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” If God will come to us regardless of the situation, we know that He is always near and by our side even when things are difficult and make little sense

1 Kings 8:57 reads “The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us.” This is important because God is with us in the same way that He was with those that came before us as God is never changing. Scripture reads “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Isaiah 55:6 reminds us that all we have to do is seek Him and we will find Him: “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

All of this is significant because God is always there and when things are tough, all we must do is rely on Him. Does this mean that quit is never the right answer? Honestly, it depends on the situation as many bad situations are a result of the bad decisions that we made. Personally, I have been involved with people throughout my life that made things worse and did so in different ways but I allowed and enabled for them to do so by keeping them around rather than respecting myself enough and cutting the rope or in other words, quitting these destructive relationships that did nothing but hinder and burden my life.

Quitting does not always mean we did something bad. Think about all the different habits that people want to quit and they do so for a reason as the habit(s) do nothing but hinder and burden their lives. One thing that we should always do is pray. When we pray, it opens up a pathway to God that cannot be matched by any other relationship or conversation. Maybe the best way to put it is when prayers go up, blessings come down and we can comprehend this from Psalm 105:4 as it tells us ” Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” Again, we are told to simply seek God.

God’s strength will help us through all things even if we are unable to completely grasp the situation. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 reminds us that God is the God of peace and gives to all: ”Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all” and again in 2 Chronicles 16:11, we are reminded to “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” This is significant because a relationship with Christ is one that must be exercised daily rather than just in times of trouble.

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.”

–2 Thessalonians 3:16