The Comfort of the Presence of God

I like to be comfortable. Don't you?

This week I moved up to Fargo, ND. I don't like change, so this was a big deal for me. The cities have been all I've ever really known. All of my family lives there, a good portion of my friends are there, and the cities-- I love Minneapolis.

For the past few weeks I had been throwing around the idea of not going to school this fall. It would have been so easy to stay where I was. I was living with my brother and his family, working as a full time nanny, and hanging out with friends on a daily basis. I was comfortable, and I liked that. But I knew God was calling me to something else. Something more. And whatever He has in store for me, I knew it was in Fargo at this point in my life. (Yes, you may ask, "But why North Dakota??" I ask myself that quite often as well...)

As I was on my way up last weekend, making the big move all by myself, I was listening to a podcast with Francis Chan. He was preaching on 1 Peter 4:12, and something he said towards the end really grabbed my attention:

"Why do we need a Comforter is we're comfortable? It's in these times of danger and uncertainty that we realize we're okay...we sense the presence of the Lord." 

God took me out of my comfort zone up here. I know quite a few people, but this is all new and very strange to me. But He took me out of that comfort to make me rely on HIM.

"...I am with you always, to the end of the age."--Matthew 28:20b

God is always with you, no matter where you are at the moment. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Helper, and He will never leave you. In the face of trials or hardships of life, cling to the fact that Jesus was ultimately uncomfortable for you (really, can you imagine a more uncomfortable way to spend your Friday than hanging on a tree with nails in your hands and feet?). Trust in Him for your salvation, your peace with God through the forgiveness of sins, and let that peace penetrate to your very core.

Jesus said this life would not be comfortable for His followers. That was a promise! So in the midst of life's craziness, rely on God and cling to Jesus.