Devotionals for the Heart: Reflections on a beautiful moment with God

When God Comes Near
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” –Psalms 121:1-2 (NIV)

Where does your help come from? In times of trouble, I like to go to a place that brings me comfort. But when I’m really struggling and need to get closer to God for help, He draws me to mountain tops, and to get to the top of a mountain you must first climb.

Yes, you read that right. God calls me to climb for His help. There must be some easier way, right? For you, there may be. But, if you’re stubborn like me, God knows He must get me out of the way first in order to help me. I call it God’s graceful tearing down of the me who is, to the building up of who I must become.

When I was young, my parents took my siblings and I to a place called Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. The drive spans over 40 miles, and along the way there many trails to hike, marvelous waterfalls to take in, and outlooks for the perfect picture background. My favorite place there was The Big Meadow, where you could ride around it in a big wagon pulled by the most elegant Clydesdale horses. At first, I was scared to pet them. They are large animals in general, but to an eight-year-old they were ginormous—much the way people perceive God, the Maker of the Universe.

So, not surprisingly, during one of my greatest struggles as an adult when I asked God for help, He told me to go to the highest place I could find in Skyline Drive. On an Autumn day in early October, I drove to the highest spot along the drive and stopped. I knew the Big Meadow was not far beyond and a wagon ride sounded like fun, but as I took my foot off the break, I felt in my spirit, “You’re here to climb.”

After a bit of grumbling, I parked in the nearest lot and walked to the closest trail. After a mile or two of hiking up and down the winding trail, pausing for strength, contemplating a defiant withdraw, then vowing not to turn back, I made it to the peak where only a young couple and a dad with his two kids had ventured.

The promised, brilliant view was...overlaid with fog. I couldn’t see a thing down below the rocks. So, though I am terrified of open-air heights, I climbed out as far as I could on jagged terrain, settle down with my journal, and wrote, “Ok, you got me here. Now what?” Other responses and feelings flowed, and after a while I looked up to find I was alone.

The fog drifted back at an alarming rate, allowing me to see how high up God had brought me, and how far out on the edge of the cliff I had climbed because the fog had hidden the expanse below me. I was paralyzed with fear. I closed my eyes and prayed to God for help. And God came near. I had no doubt as I felt a tremendous peace wash over me, followed by a sudden warmth lift within my spirit. I could behold all that was before me – a vast, beautiful valley – in complete wonder.

I’ll never forget what God spoke to my heart: “Do you see how far you’ve come? What I can overcome, and how high I can take you when you don’t see with your eyes, but trust me with you heart?” I felt such a hope – the kind that reaches above all understanding – when you know that anything is possible not just with God, but all because of Him. And, that no matter your current circumstances, when you ask His help, the God of the universe will reach down for you.

Have you experienced a “God came near” moment? Tell us about it in the comments.

Do you need God’s help in your current circumstance? You can ask Him for it anytime. He’s always ready to come nearer to you.

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Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater.

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan