God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV
Ever Present
According to the “medium numbers” scenario developed during a recent study, over four million Canadian citizens were living abroad in 2016. This number may vary between 2.9 million and 5.5 million people based on the “low numbers” and “high numbers” scenarios, which differ from the medium scenario because of different assumptions for emigration and the transmission of citizenship to children born abroad. Around half of Canadian citizens living abroad are Canadian citizens by descent, that is, they were born abroad to citizen parents from whom they obtained their citizenship.
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There is nothing more precious to us than having those we love close by. We are blessed to have two of our three sons, and their families, living nearby. We love having them visit and we see them regularly. Our youngest son and his family live on Vancouver Island, a long way from us. We get to see them far less often and the visits are always such a joy. The God who created us loves to be with us. The Bible tells us in the first chapter of John’s gospel that Jesus stepped into our world to tabernacle among us. But even before Jesus came, God was present with His people through the Holy Spirit. King David writes this in Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” What a wonderful promise of God’s presence. No matter what you are walking through, the God who created you and loves you is right there with you. Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us. You can reach out to Him right now in prayer – He is right there.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley