The Lord Is Closer Than Whispering Distance
By Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:5-6
Dear Friends,
Have you ever experienced fear, the kind of fear that follows terrifying changes in your life or the gnawing, grinding every minute of everyday fear of – you name it?
This week, Elizabeth Turnage, author of From Recovery to Restoration: 60 Meditations for Finding Peace and Hope in a Crisis, joins us to share excerpts addressing fear from her book. On Day Two, Elizabeth says:
Traversing the road of recovery often feels like walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Each journey is complex and mysterious, of uncertain length, and fraught with unknown fears. And yet, according to David, who journeyed through many dark valleys, we can “fear no evil,” because we are not alone. The Lord is closer than whispering distance, guarding and guiding us with his presence.
Elizabeth has joined me on the Help & Hope podcast twice, once to talk about “The Waiting Room” and most recently, to discuss how to prepare for the last season of life by organizing our lives and being intentional about leaving a legacy of faith in the episode, “Organizing Your Life & Legacy”.
One reason I enjoy conversations with Elizabeth is her honesty and confidence in the Lord when facing a crisis. She pulls from her own life experiences of waiting rooms, fear, and helping her parents in the last season of their lives. Her work reveals her heart for pointing us to the light of Jesus in what might feel like mundane moments, along with, those earth-shattering changes that take place in our lives.
Elizabeth ends Tuesday’s devotional on Psalm 23 with these words:
How would it be possible to fear no evil in a place of such “suspense and surmise,” in which “the evil of evils is uncertainty”? The answer comes in the pivot point, verse four, “For you are with me.” Earlier, David told us that the Lord, third person, is his shepherd; now he addresses the Lord directly:
“You are with me.” In other words,
You, the King of kings, are with me.
You, the Lion of Judah, are with me.
You, the Crusher of Satan, are with me.
Take heart, dear friends. His light, the light that has overcome the darkness, has flooded this dark valley. The Lord, your Shepherd, who protects and guides you with his staff, is with you.
Friends, I echo Elizabeth’s encouragement – wherever God leads you this week, if fear raises like a monster, remember these words and “take heart” because Jesus has overcome whatever trouble comes your way.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
"The light entered the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it." John 1:5
Friends, Jesus is the light of the world (John 1:4). There is no one like Him – John 1:9 tells us, He is the “true light, which gives light to everyone” (v.9). Have you experienced His grace, power, and mercy? No one can drive away the darkness of sin or the ravages of this broken world except Jesus. Do you know Him? As your love for Him deepens, it will flow out of you into the lives of others. In fact, the Lord commands us to “encourage one another” with the hope we have in Him. Be the light of Jesus today to one person. Ask Him to make you sensitive to those around you who need His touch and then pray for Him to show you one way you can help turn his or her heart toward Jesus. (For more on how to be a biblical encourager, check out my book Treasures of Encouragement and visit treasuresofencouragement.org for more ideas.)
More free resources for help, hope, and healing:
MARKINC seeks to help men and women grow in their faith so that they are better equipped to face the trials and suffering that they will encounter in life. In His Grip is the preaching and teaching ministry of Dr. Chuck F. Betters from 45+ years in church ministry. Click to learn more about In His Grip.
About the Author: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Sunday, 04 February 2024.
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