Come Close To Me

It's amazing how the circumstances of our lives can dictate our moods, our feelings, and our decisions. Sometimes in our difficult situations, we run closer to His presence, depending more on Him, and other times we feel so discouraged that we forget to bring our troubles to Him and keep trying in our own strengths.

This is what He has been saying to me lately about Coming Closer to Him during the trial He has been leading me through for the past few weeks:

You can live as close to Me as you choose. I don't set up barriers between us; neither do I tear down barriers that you erect.
People tend to think that their circumstances determine the quality of their lives. That is why they pour all their energy into trying to control all situations. They feel happy when things are going well [their way], and depressed or frustrated when things aren't turning out as they had hoped. Rarely do they question this correlation between their circumstances and their feelings. Yet it is possible to be content in any and every situation. It's up to them! All they have to do is Trust Me.
So put more of your energy into trusting Me and My love. Enjoy My presence in your life! Don't let your well-being depend on your circumstances around you. Instead, connect your joy to my promises found in Scripture:
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.
I will meet every single one of your needs according to My abundant riches.
Nothing in all of creation will ever be able to separate you from My Love... Nothing!
I am working My ways in you: the divine Artist creating loveliness within your being. My main work is to clear out debris and clutter, making more room for My Spirit to take complete possession. Collaborate with Me in this effort by being willing to let go of anything I choose to take away - for a time or permanently. I know what you need, and I have promised to provide all of that, abundantly.
Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way. I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence alone. This entails being completely satisfied with much or little, accepting either as My will for the moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive. Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every single situation.

[Philippians 4:12; Genesis 28:15; Philippians 4:19; Romans 8:38-39; Psalm 29:2]