Love is present.
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
I am a fixer. It stresses me out when I see a problem and can’t fix it, especially when someone I love is facing a mountain. Many of us are guilty of the same. When someone loses a loved one, we rush to find the right words to say (often saying the wrong ones). When a child falls, anyone in the vicinity rushes to the rescue. My Kindergarten students, at 5, fight to be the first to pick up something I drop. Humans are helpers.
But what if we can’t help? What if, in our own power, there is nothing we can do? We may be tempted to start doing random things to ease our own feelings of inadequacy. We may disappear altogether.
As I look at the character of God, there are so many times when God instructs someone “do not fear”. Now, this would be amazing if the second part of that sentence was “...for I will take the obstacle away.” I would even settle for “...this will be over in a second.” Instead, God’s consolation for the children He loves is that He will be present. “I will be with you.” Today’s message is simple: love is present.
We may not have all the answers, and hard things will happen to the people we love. That is a guarantee of life. Many times we won’t have the power to change the situation. Even God, in His infinite power, does not always remove the challenge. Remember the disciples in a storm WITH Jesus in the boat? For reasons above our security clearance, we will face hardships. As we learn to love this month, let us be resolved to declare that “even if I can’t make it better for you, I will be here with you.”
Prayer:
God, you are Emmanuel: God with us. This season is hard. Some days harder, some days easier. Will you teach me how to love others well, by simply being present? Will you give me discernment for when to speak, when to pray, and when to just “be”? Thank you for being an ever-present help in the time of trouble. Thank you for loving me presently, no matter what comes.
