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				Close to God's Heart By Janet Treadway When we're feeling the most lonely, God can be close to us. If you're going through trials, know that God is just a prayer away. ometimes we are placed in trials that can make us feel so alone. Trials come in a variety of forms: the loss of a spouse, a close friend, a job or anything that is very dear to you. It can make you feel insecure, afraid and alone. Others around you can be so involved in their own lives that they don't see the pain that you are going through. Or maybe they don't understand your situation and they feel that you should be handling it differently. Moments like these can make you feel so alone. How can we become closer to God's heart during such times? Recently, I had a difficult experience that allowed me to become closer to God -- the greatest Healer of all. One day I was feeling lonely because of a recent loss. I started pouring out my heart to God, asking Him to not leave me, asking Him to bring me encouragement. I did not want others to see my grief lest they think that I should be stronger. But God saw and understood my pain. On this particular day when I was feeling so alone and afraid, my Father in heaven was alert and saw my despair. He reached out to encourage me as I had asked. While praying and talking to Him, thoughts would pop into my head. Then, when I looked at my opened Bible, the exact scriptures that backed up my thoughts were right in front of me! And they involved the circumstances I was so discouraged about! Real answers that I needed were right there! It was as if God was reaching out and talking to me, reaching into my heart and saying that I was not alone because He was with me and was helping me. My experience reminded me, once again, how deeply God cares for me and how He cares for all of us. Once again, He was there for me in a very lonely time. He did not judge me, but was there inspiring me through His word. God is the chief encourager When you are down and no one seems to understand how much your heart is hurting, remember that God sees and understands. The pages of the Bible are filled with examples of God reaching out to His children in times of trouble and despair. Like a loving parent, God is close to us when we are hurting and in trouble. God saw Hezekiah's tears during his sickness, and He responded to those tears and to Hezekiah's crying out in prayer. Isaiah 38:5 reads, "Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years" (King James Version, emphasis added throughout). Hezekiah was on his bed, alone, crying out to God and God saw him. Why? God felt Hezekiah's pain! Those of us who are parents know how it feels to suffer for our children when they are going through some tough trials. We want to be there for them -- to encourage them through whatever they are going through because we don't want to see them get hurt. We want to take away their pain. God is the same way with us. He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15). The Bible is full of many such encouraging scriptures: "The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles...Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:17,19). "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust...But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 103:13-17). "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 7:6). God is there to be our hero as He was with Israel! God will always be available to bring us out of our trials, afflictions and difficulties -- to confront us when we are down and get us going again. He knows our hearts better than anyone. He knows our background and why we have the emotions that we do. Like a loving parent, God is close to us when we are hurting and in trouble. Call on God! Call on Him when you are hurting and feeling overwhelmed by life! He wants you close to His heart so He can comfort you, encourage you, restore your hope and build you up again. He does this because He paid a very high, personal price for you: He gave His only Son for each of us! Why? Again, because He wants you and me to be close to His heart! Copyright 2005 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved.

Related Information:

Other Articles by Janet Treadway
Origin of article "Close to God's Heart"
Keywords: encouragement trials 

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