Weekly Devotional
Love Series: "The Loving Presence of God" (Volume I Devotional #010)
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7.11
As I mentioned in Lesson 2 of the Study Series, “On one particular occasion, when I was in deep prayer and worship to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I had gotten the sense that the Lord was speaking to my heart.”1 As I had explained, “A thought so obvious, but that was too simple to come from myself, [stated to my spirit, like that of a still small voice,]2 ‘Memorize My Word.’”3 However, there is a little more to the story than originally told.
What I had not mentioned, is that during that time in my life, I was so extremely lonely. Very shortly, after my spiritual epiphany from the Lord to “Memorize [His] Word,” in addition to possessing an “overwhelming desire to please God and seek His will for my life,”4 I asked the Lord to allow me to always feel His presence with me at all times, so that I would never feel lonely again which would allow me to be confident in the calling for which He had appointed me. The Lord God answered my prayer, and I have never again felt lonely and have always sensed God’s presence with me since that time.
My beloved reader, perhaps, you feel lonely and/or betrayed. Perhaps, everything in your life seems meaningless to you, perhaps, “even [your] own familiar friend in whom [you] trusted, who ate [your] bread, has lifted up his[/her] heel against [you].”5 My dear brother or sister in Christ, I want to remind you of the kindness and the love of God. Many of us have read and heard it preached that “God will never leave you nor forsake you;”6 however, knowing something to be true is much different than experiencing it to be a fact in your life.
In the Epistle of First John, we are told, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.”7 Think about that for a moment, my beloved reader. Now let’s ask ourselves a question, “Is it God’s will for me to always feel His presence?” Now consider this thought, if you will, what if your child asked you, “Daddy, I want to know you are always with me?” Now come on, if it is at all possible, what father would not grant that request? “If [we] then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to [our] children, how much more will [our] Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”8 Besides, my brothers and sister in Christ, “God does not show favoritism,”9 what He has done for me, He certainly will do for you. I would only simply encourage you as He had shown Me, memorize His Word, so that you may understand what the will of the Lord is, and demonstrate interest in Him, as I am certain He wants you to know that He takes total interest in you.
Prayer: Father in heaven, Maker of heaven and earth, let us give You glory and honor for everything You have done in our lives. We know, Father, that Your Word is truth, and we are able to hope and believe in Your Word no matter what happens in our lives. Father, let Your children feel Your presence; so that, they know and experience the greatness of Your love for them. Let them be confident to know, Father, that anything they ask that focuses a deeper and greater relationship with You is always an answered prayer that allows for an absolute, “Yes,” from You, because of the love You have for all men. Thank you, Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, and let that always be the realization of the depths of the love we know You have for us. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
This week’s memory verse from the Weekly Devotional is Romans 10.9:
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Study Series, “Essential of the Christian Faith: The Word of God, Lesson 2.” https://ronhanes.substack.com/p/study-series-62a. November 4, 2025.
Read: I Kings 19.11-12.
Study Series, “Essential of the Christian Faith: The Word of God, Lesson 2.” https://ronhanes.substack.com/p/study-series-62a. November 4, 2025.
Study Series, “Essential of the Christian Faith: The Word of God, Lesson 2.” https://ronhanes.substack.com/p/study-series-62a. November 4, 2025.
Psalm 41.9, NKJV.
Hebrews 13.5, NKJV.
I John 5.14-15, NKJV.
Matthew 7.11, NKJV.
Acts 10.34, NKJV.
Both encouraged and convicted!
Pastor Ron, thank you for this beautiful reminder of the loving nearness of God. Your testimony is a powerful encouragement to those walking through seasons of loneliness, uncertainty, or sorrow As you shared, the promise of God’s presence is not just something to know but something to experience. Psalm 34:18 came to mind immediately The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit What comfort it is to know that God draws near even before we have strength to reach for Him. I appreciate how you pointed us to the confidence found in 1 John 5:14, If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us There is nothing more aligned with His will than His children longing to walk closely with Him. Your reminder to hide His Word in our hearts echoes Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You When His Word fills our minds, His presence strengthens our hearts. And for anyone feeling abandoned, Hebrews 13:5 remains an unshakable ancho I will never leave you nor forsake you Not because of our faithfulness, but because of His (2 Timothy 2:13). Your devotion also brought to mind the road to Emmaus, where Jesus walked beside His disciples even when they didn’t recognize Him (Luke 24:15–16). So it is with us His presence is often nearer than we realize. Thank you, Pastor, for lifting our eyes to the kindness, consistency, and compassion of our Father. May the Lord continue to use your words to guide His people into deeper fellowship with Him. 🙏📖✨