At times, we all enjoy being fooled by magicians. We wish to see the impossible happen right before our eyes.

The magic trick many of us enjoyed most as children was to see the magician pull a rabbit out of his hat. The animal appeared to be much too large to come out of the hat but we saw it happen, or did we?

Then we find in life situations where we are expected to do the impossible and cannot.

We may be very ill and wish to become well instantly but we continue on our bed of sickness. There may be some other sorrow in your life and you wish a magic wand could be waved and the whole difficulty would then disappear.

We long for the simple life we had before the tragedy struck but it does not return. What do we do now? Who do we call on?

Before we attempt the impossible we need to get some facts straight. We must think before we act. There must be some truth that we hold on to when it appears everything has blown away. When the ground seems to give way under us, we need to find some sure footing on which to base our thoughts and actions.

We find this sure footing in the words of our verses for today. The truth that is so vital and necessary is this, "The Lord is near." Before launching out on some "impossible" action to deliver yourself, get a firm grip on the reality that God is with you.

The greatest truth we can see in the Bible is contained in the name for Jesus given to His legal father Joseph. The record of this naming of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)

I need not know my way to go, my path to see.
Only just to hold Thy hand and follow Thee.

Pray to the Lord to make Himself known to you. Do not cease your praying until you find the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart and you know the Lord is near.