Jesus So Near Me
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5
“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24:44
When my son Joseph was little he found a great way to deal with his frustrations. Joseph was prone to temper tantrums for awhile as a very young child. Sometimes when he would feel that pressure building, he would stop and say, “Jesus be near me.” This coming from a two-year old was quite precious. I taught Joseph and his siblings, from their very early days, to call on Jesus when they were frightened, angry, or felt any kind of need. I tried to instill in them, the idea that Jesus is right here with us, always.
The other day I had my own moment of irritation, to be a tad more accurate it went beyond irritation. The thoughts I was having about the subject of my frustration were not at all kind. I looked up from what I was doing to lock eyes with Jesus, in the form of a painting of the Last Supper. I felt an immediate rush of guilt. How could I think such awful things with Jesus looking right at me? I was instantly amused at myself. Did I forget him for a moment? Or did I just think he would look the other way whenever I wanted to behave badly?
This is not my first experience of this kind. Too many times I have heard myself advise or instruct another person just to hear that instruction or advice in my own ear, a prompt from God. Working with a particularly difficult child once I asked her, “Why won’t you just listen to me?” I told her, “If you do it my way, it will go much easier.” As I said it I could picture God saying those exact words to me. If I would listen to Him, things would go much better. If.
Seeing that picture of the Last Supper and experiencing my rush of guilt was just the reminder I needed. Jesus is always near me. What I taught my children was true. I can call on Jesus anytime I want. He is never far away. He is always ready to protect, comfort and defend me. If I’m going to be on my best behavior when Jesus is watching I better pick up my game a little, or a lot.
What do I want to be doing when Jesus comes back for me? Praising him or doing something to bring glory to his name. I do not want to be slandering or maligning my brother or sister. My behavior always needs to reflect my love for my Savior. It doesn’t at the moment, but no worries, God’s still working on me.
“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24:44
When my son Joseph was little he found a great way to deal with his frustrations. Joseph was prone to temper tantrums for awhile as a very young child. Sometimes when he would feel that pressure building, he would stop and say, “Jesus be near me.” This coming from a two-year old was quite precious. I taught Joseph and his siblings, from their very early days, to call on Jesus when they were frightened, angry, or felt any kind of need. I tried to instill in them, the idea that Jesus is right here with us, always.
The other day I had my own moment of irritation, to be a tad more accurate it went beyond irritation. The thoughts I was having about the subject of my frustration were not at all kind. I looked up from what I was doing to lock eyes with Jesus, in the form of a painting of the Last Supper. I felt an immediate rush of guilt. How could I think such awful things with Jesus looking right at me? I was instantly amused at myself. Did I forget him for a moment? Or did I just think he would look the other way whenever I wanted to behave badly?
This is not my first experience of this kind. Too many times I have heard myself advise or instruct another person just to hear that instruction or advice in my own ear, a prompt from God. Working with a particularly difficult child once I asked her, “Why won’t you just listen to me?” I told her, “If you do it my way, it will go much easier.” As I said it I could picture God saying those exact words to me. If I would listen to Him, things would go much better. If.
Seeing that picture of the Last Supper and experiencing my rush of guilt was just the reminder I needed. Jesus is always near me. What I taught my children was true. I can call on Jesus anytime I want. He is never far away. He is always ready to protect, comfort and defend me. If I’m going to be on my best behavior when Jesus is watching I better pick up my game a little, or a lot.
What do I want to be doing when Jesus comes back for me? Praising him or doing something to bring glory to his name. I do not want to be slandering or maligning my brother or sister. My behavior always needs to reflect my love for my Savior. It doesn’t at the moment, but no worries, God’s still working on me.
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