The kingdom of God is not built on the successes and victories of man but through the power of God.

The Nearness of God

By Peter Sung The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. ~ Psalm 34:18
READING: Psalm 34
The Lord is near to those who are brokenhearted, and he delivers those who are discouraged. There is such a thing as something I would call a theology of “more-ness.” When we feel most alone and abandoned, God is, at that precise moment, most close to us. Grace abounds when sin abounds. Jesus forsakes the ninety-nine to find the one that is lost. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is epitomized by ministry to the widows and the orphans.
In a world of fast preaching preachers and fast growing churches, our little struggling church plant can look less than. But the opposite is true. God has never been a respecter of persons. It is quite impossible to impress Him. The weaker we are the closer God draws. The fact is, we may be further away from God after we preach a home-run sermon than when after we have had “one of those Sundays.”
The kingdom of God is not built on the successes and victories of man but through the power of God which flows through the weak, the foolish and the downcast.
Many Sundays will come and go, as will events, programs and personalities. In a sea of churches and sermons, preachers and choirs, there stands Jesus, the Faithful One, building his church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. In fact, he never needed it in the first place.
Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God!
Dear Lord, I confess my discouragement and feelings of failure and inferiority. I rest today under the shadow of your wings. Amen.

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