“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
– John 12:32
I want to share with you the best time to draw closer to the Lord as illustrated by a memory I have of my sweet cousin who is like a sister to me. When she was 19 and I was 22, I hadn’t seen her in years and didn’t know she’d run into trouble. I recruited her to help me with the church’s youth group and she was doing amazing. She showed up to everything and was positive. She loved the Lord and everything was going well. One day I went outside while we were serving at the church, and she was smoking a cigarette. When she saw me, she threw the cigarette down looking as if her world had shattered, snuffed it out, and said, “Oh no!” I told her I didn’t care if she smoked. She said, “Well, I didn’t want YOU to see me smoking.” After that, she just fizzled out and stopped coming. She did great later in life, but I remember how this moment changed how she saw herself. Many people start going to church or stop going to church for the same reason: They have something in their lives they’re embarrassed about or they sinned. But this is precisely when you should go to church — when you are at your lowest. Friend, the best time to draw close to the Lord is when you feel the furthest from Him. There will be times when you feel as if you don’t believe in Him, when you have doubts, when you fall off the wagon; whatever it might be. Should that ever happen, all you have to do is come into fellowship with your church or other believers and get help. You are loved by God just as you are! |
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for loving me. Help me to draw closer to you.
Reflection
When you should have drawn closer to God, have you turned away from Him?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
One Response
When life’s road gets bumpy
And you feel the need to run
Do you know where you are running
Or even to or from
Onward Christian Soldiers
Run straight to the Lord
Those who don’t know Jesus
Must carry their own sword
Pain and sorrow comes along
It happens to us all
It wasn’t God’s original plan
But started after The Fall
So life’s question is not when
It’s not up to us to know
But we can be prepared
Which way we will go
If tragedy befalls you
Which way will you run
Away from God because you blame Him
Or will you run towards His Son
Jesus is standing, waiting
Your pain He already knew
All you have to do is ask
And He will comfort you
But if you lack the faith to ask
And run the other way
The enemy is also waiting
With lies he wants to say
He tells you it is God’s fault
The trouble that you’re in
He’d like you to believe
There’s no such thing as sin
Satan knows his future
His final destiny
He knows God is greater
But he tries to fool you and me
God offers heaven
Satan can only offer Hell
So he covers it with lies
Hoping you won’t be able to tell
Jesus tells us in scripture
We’ll have trials and tribulation
But that He overcame the world
Giving us peace and anticipation
So, when you feel like running
It’s okay, if you do
Just be sure you run to Jesus
Who is waiting there for you
Carol Lovell