Psalm 119:151 - But You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are true.
In the longest chapter in the Bible, there are five short words that ring like a bell in the roar of modern history: "But You are near, O Lord." And in another section of the Bible, in a seldom read chapter, occurs a sentence that hits the bullseye when you're looking for an answer to what's wrong with the modern world.
Ahaz, king of Judah, turned his back on God. Not that he became altogether irreligious, mind you! After all, the king had to worship something. That is, he must believe in something outside of himself. So he did: he turned to idols. The sacred record reports that "he shut up the doors of the house of the LORD," and that "he made high places to make offerings to other gods." Then comes that well-aimed sentence: "But they [the idols] were the ruin of him and of all Israel." When men turn their back on God and begin to love and trust something else more than they love and trust God, the result is always ruinous (see 2 Chronicles 28).
God can be as real to us as He was to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God can be as true to us as he was to Abram during his pilgrimage from Ur of the Chaldees to the Promised Land. God can be as evident to us as he was to Moses by the burning bush. And God can be as close to us as He was to David when he wrote, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
Now someone may ask, "How do you know that God is near? Have you seen Him? No, I have not seen Him. But I see indications of His nearness. I see His majesty in the oceans and the changing of the seasons; I see His brilliance in the stars and the birth of a child. But all this is like the flickering of a candle compared with the brightness of His revelation in the Scriptures!
It is there we find God's love. It is in His Word that we read of His Son, Jesus Christ. We learn about Jesus' life, His obedience to His Heavenly Father, and His eternal love toward us. We read how He took our sins to the cross, died there, was buried, and three days later rose to life again in resurrection victory.
As fallen creatures, our sin keeps us distant from God's nearness. But remember this: it is Christ Himself who says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
It is because of Jesus that we can draw near to God and away from those things that would lead us astray. For each of us, Jesus stands ready, waiting, knocking on the door of our hearts.
May today be the day you hear Him knock on yours!
WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, may we receive Your Son when He comes for us. In His Name we pray. Amen.
From "When God Is Near," a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Armin Oldsen, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. What things hinder you from drawing closer to God?
2. God being near to us is truly awesome to think about. What does this mean to you?
3. What do you find most significant in the Bible's stories about God interacting with humans?
Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 8-9 Psalms 60 John 2
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