OCTOBER 11, 2012
Panic
Or Pray?
Read: 2 Chronicles 14:1-11
Help
us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go
against this
multitude. —2 Chronicles 14:11
Samuel,
who was 4, had finished eating his dinner and asked if he
could be dismissed
from the table. He wanted to go outside to play.
But he was too young to be out
alone, so his mother said, “No. You
can’t go outside by yourself. You need to
wait for me to finish and
go with you.” His quick reply: “But, Mommy, Jesus is
with me!”
Samuel
had learned well from his parents that the Lord is always by
his side. We see
in our Bible reading today that Jacob had learned
that lesson too. His father
Isaac had blessed him and told him to find
a wife from among his mother’s
family (Gen. 28:1-4). He followed
that directive and traveled toward Haran.
As
Jacob slept, the Lord came to him in a dream and said, “I am with
you and will
keep you wherever you go . . . ; for I will not leave you”
(v.15). When he
awoke, he knew that he had heard from God, and
said, “Surely the Lord is in this place” (v.16).
Confident of God’s
presence, he committed himself to following Him with his
life (vv.20-21).
If
we have received Jesus as our Savior (John 1:12), we can be
confident and take
comfort in the truth that He is always present
with us (Heb. 13:5). Like Jacob,
may our response to His love be
wholehearted devotion.
Thank You, Lord, for walking with us every
day. You are our guardian, friend,
and guide. May we sense Your loving presence and always
know that You are close by our side. Amen.
Our loving God is always near—forever by our side.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
