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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: Never Alone

  • God is Closer Than You Think

    God is Closer Than You Think

    God is closer than you think

    Where do you think God is? It’s a simple question, but the answer is often surprising. A lot of people think God is somewhere way off in space, in heaven, wherever that is. The truth is that God is closer than you think.

    There is a sense in which that is true. God is transcendent. He is outside of time and space as we understand it.

    There is a sense in which he is internal. The Holy Spirit dwells with every believer.

    Yet at times, he can feel so far removed from us that we cannot even begin to sense his presence. Our prayers seem unanswered. We seek peace, but all we feel is turmoil. Everything is going wrong. We feel pressed, persecuted and beaten down.

    The world weighs heavily on our shoulders. Humanity is a mess, and the inmates seem to be running the asylum. Where is he?

    He is closer than you think.

    The Bible is full of verses to confirm the truth that outweighs our feelings.

    For Yahweh will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. Psalm 94:14

    Yahweh is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

    He is often with us, and we fail to recognize Him. It happened to Jacob.

    … “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I did not know it.” Genesis 28:16

    Hagar did not recognize the Lord in the wilderness. Cleopas and his companion did not recognize Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. He walked for 30+ years in Israel, and most people could not see Him for who He was.

    In closing his instructions to the disciples after giving them the Great Commission, Jesus said, “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 18:20

    He hasn’t left you. He’s right there with you. God is closer than you think. He sees, He knows, and He cares.

    There will come a time when we see him in the New Jerusalem, but never forget He walks with you today in every situation.

    Hold fast, my friends.

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone) 

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    SUMMARY

    Despite our feelings of abandonment during hardship and unanswered prayer, God is never truly far — He is both transcendent and intimately present with every believer.

    KEY POINTS

    Throughout Scripture, people failed to recognize God’s presence even when He was right beside them — Jacob, Hagar, and the disciples on the road to Emmaus all missed Him in the moment. 

    God’s Word overrules our feelings: He will not abandon His people, He is near to all who call on Him, and Jesus promised to be with His followers always, to the end of the age. 

    Whatever you’re facing today — pressure, turmoil, unanswered prayer — He sees, He knows, and He cares. He hasn’t left you.

    From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

    You might also enjoy “Close to the Master,” “Is Christianity too narrow?” or “The best news you will ever hear!”

  • Last Leaves – Feeling alone, but never alone.

    Last Leaves – Feeling alone, but never alone.

    tree with most of the leaves already fallen on a foggy morning

    Driving home from the pool yesterday, the lyrics “all the leaves  are brown, and the sky is grey” were going through my head.

    The sky was grey yesterday, and it rained off and on all day. The leaves aren’t all grey, but most trees have shed them all. A few lonely leaves are holding on for dear life, but every little gust of wind shakes some more of them off the tree.

    Sometimes, we feel like those remaining leaves. We think that we’re the last faithful Christians left. That thought might apply to our own faith walk or our denomination/affiliation compared to others.

    It feels that no one else wants to do the work; finding volunteers is like searching for hen’s teeth or frog hairs. You can’t find anyone to study the Scriptures or pray with.  The weight of the gospel message rests fully on our shoulders, and we fear that God’s work won’t get done if we don’t do it.

    Of course, that’s wrong thinking, and we’re not the first people in the world to have those thoughts. We are never alone.

    In 1 Kings, we see God work incredible miracles through Elijah, but he feels alone. I recommend reading 1 Kings 18-19 to get the full story, but I want to hit on a few relevant verses.

    Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” 1 Kings 18:22

    God works in miraculous ways to defeat all the priests of Baal, which angers Jezebel, the Queen, so Elijah runs away into the desert to hide.

    While in the desert, he hears the still small voice of God and complains.

    He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 1 Kings 19:14

    The Lord responds by giving Elijah a task to anoint a new king over Israel and reminds him that,

    Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18

    That 7,000 might be a literal number, but it’s more likely to refer to many more believers than Elijah can comprehend. Seven is the number of completeness, and 1,000 often suggests large numbers. Either way, Elijah is far from alone in doing God’s work.

    We are never the only ones, no matter how we feel. God’s church is larger than we ever imagine. Things are happening that we may never see. We are never alone.

    God’s tasks will get accomplished with us, despite us, or through us. We are accountable to God for our own obedience, not the obedience of others.

    He is the one with power and makes things happen.

    Joyfully do what God calls you to and let Him worry about what others are, or are not doing. He’s got it covered.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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    All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word. 

    Unless otherwise noted, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

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