The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9
Nicolas Herman was born in 1605 in the region of Lorraine, France. He grew up during the calamitous Thirty Years War that devastated central Europe. Because his family was poor, Herman was forced to join the army, where he was given meals and a small stipend. During the course of the war, he was taken prisoner by German troops and treated like a spy. They even threatened to hang him. He fearlessly answered their interrogations, causing him to ultimately be released. In today’s climate, it might have been said that he suffered from post-traumatic stress. Because of that, at the war’s end, he resolved to live as a hermit. His journals say that in his solitude, he reflected on his life’s path, and how he had made a deep commitment to his Christian faith at 18 years old. He joined a Carmelite order in Paris and took the name “Lawrence of the Resurrection,” later becoming known as Brother Lawrence, the author of The Practice of the Presence of God.
Brother Lawrence devoted his time cultivating a keen sensitivity to the presence of God in everyday life. He resolved to make his love of the Lord the end of all his actions, developing a habit of conversing with God “and referring all we do to Him.” His writings reveal his deep love for God and the disciplines he used in always being aware of God’s promise never to leave him or forsake him.
You don’t have to hide yourself away in a religious order to know God’s presence. The more you engage in conversation with Him the more aware your soul becomes of God’s control over your entire life, from first cry to final breath. He has promised to always be with you, so trust Him by giving Him control in everything. Intercede for Christians in the Capitol who struggle with acknowledging God’s active presence in their lives.
Today’s Verse: Joshua 1:9
”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Isaiah 41:10-13, Hebrews 13:1-8
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 Behold, all who are incensed against you
shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.
13 For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”
1Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
