From the Edges – Comforted.

From the Edges – Morning Devotions

Pastor Calvin Cook – May 23, 2024

Comforted

Scripture focus – John 14:15-17 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Lord, I need you! I have prayed this prayer so many times and that is just in the last hour. Two nights ago, I awoke very sick, chills, sweats, dizziness, weakness, the whole gamut with a very quick onset. It probably was not as serious as I made it, but for that moment I believed it to be the worst I have ever felt. My thoughts centered around who do I call for help, (I was by myself at our Hyndman house), do I call 911, where do I go, what do I do. As all of this was taking place the song with the words “Lord I need you, how I need you” started to play in my heart, mind, and soul.  

I began to pray – “I am in you Lord, I’m turning to you, it is in your hands.” I didn’t call anyone, I didn’t reach out, I didn’t turn to google with my symptoms, I just kept quiet before the Lord. After about a half hour, the symptoms began to pass. For the rest of the night, I remained with no distractions other than to just be in the presence of the Lord. I did call Gail, which brought her concern, my neighbor checked on me when he noticed I wasn’t moving yet. I just did nothing but stay in the presence of the Lord for an extended time, with nothing, just me and God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The reminder from the scripture of Jesus telling the Disciples that they would never be alone, should bring comfort to all of us in our times of despair, sickness, loneliness and confusion. We are not as we surrender our lives to Jesus ever alone. However, you can find that place, it becomes of the upmost importance for a sound relationship with the God of all things, for those times of complete surrender to God’s will.

Now here is the caution. As satan sees you moving closer in your relationship with God and who God has created you to be, the evil one will use every ploy, distraction, situation to keep you where you are or move you away from God’s will which is found in Christ Jesus. Yesterday, I had made some commitments to myself, to others and could not allow the plans of God for that day to keep me from doing what it is that I needed to do for His glory. Yes, I did it with some weariness but none less I did it. In the midst of everything at every turn I felt, witnessed, and was refreshed by the presence of God.

In the background this morning, Jesus Culture is singing “Christ be all around me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ beside me, Christ be all around me.” Here needs to be our prayer “ As we receive you Jesus, as we accept the power of your Holy Spirit working in me, comforting me, may I experience you. I pray Lord, I need you, more than anything else I need you, more than anything else may I see my need for you. – May I surrender it all to you and be led from the wilderness to your glory. Amen