In Him



I retired early last evening, because I had overtaxed my body by mowing and edging the lawns around my house; trimming the five cypress trees that line the north side of my driveway; and I trimmed several shrubs that needed my attention.  I also washed my car and truck.  My body was a little tired to say the least.

While lying in bed my mind was stayed upon the Lord; thinking about His awesome goodness and how He shows longsuffering with regards to my imperfections.  I reminisced past years and thought how wonderful the Lord had been to me and how blessed I was to have experienced His forgiving grace at an early age of twenty-five.  

Since I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, He has never in all the time that I have lived for Him, left me to weep alone or failed to walk by my side in any situation that I faced.   The Lord was always present; allowing me to cast all of my burdens and cares upon Him.

Jesus has stuck closer than a brother and never left or forsook me even in the hard times.  That is certainly more than I can say for some “friends” that I have known through the years.  There has never been a truer statement made than the following Bible scripture:

(Proverbs 18:24), “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

As I laid there thanking God for His perfect, never failing love, and the mercy that encapsulates my very being, I was reminded of the saints of God—patriarchs of old—that walked and talked with Jesus.  They gave their very life for the cause of Christ.

To give ones life speaks of the incredible, solidarity of faith, and the willpower and strength that indwelled each of the disciples.  They were full of the Holy Spirit who gave them the potency and ability to die for godly statutes to which they had committed themselves.

They knew how to live in Christ, and believed that to die was gain.  They were martyred for standing up for the teachings that Jesus lived and taught.  Note:  The sinful nature of mankind refuses to adhere to righteous living, and will try to remove holiness from their presence, because the purity of honor and nobility reveals how dark their world is without the Lord.

The Lord reminded me that He has been with me not only in the good times, but hard times as well.  He has been my confidant and the lifter of my head when I needed someone to talk to and lean upon.  Jesus not only was with me yesterday; He is here today; and tomorrow I can count on Him to be there. 

(Psalm 46:1), “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.”

God’s unfailing love helps me through every obstacle that may come my way.  He has never said, “You again?”  The Lord always makes a way where there seems to be no way, because my steps are directed by God.  He takes care of the small, annoying things that creep into my life as well as the larger challenges.  God speaks peace to my troubled soul when it is needed.

That which Jesus does for me, He will do for anyone that places their life in His hands.  To be a child of God means that Father God is responsible for the wellbeing and welfare of His children.  He is mindful of every need, including the desires of one’s heart.  God gives grace according to His will and good pleasure.  He knows best what we need more than we know ourselves.

God may not always allow us to have every little thing that we think we need, because He knows what is best to make us complete in Him.  He wants the very best.  God causes good to come out of situations that we face or find ourselves in, because of His great love for us.

While lying in bed and allowing my spirit to reach out and touch my heavenly Father, a soothing aura fell across my body like a bed sheet.  I knew God was touching my senses; allowing me to feel His presence.  It was awe-inspiring!

I don’t walk by these special feelings or base my salvation on them when I encounter God’s presence from time to time.  I endeavor to walk by faith, though it is always an awesome experience when my senses are ministered to by the Holy Spirit.  It affirms my relationship with God the Father.

(Romans 10:9) “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

To know God is to love Him, and I love Him dearly.  He is not only my all-in-all and problem bearer; He is my problem solver.  Jesus is my sounding board who listens when I have something on my mind and need to talk. 

The Lord is my Savior, Redeemer, and soon coming King.  In Him I stand complete and whole.  In Him lies my hope of eternal life in heaven.  Without this hope I would be of all men most miserable.

Written by,

Papa Boyd