God is Near (Elohim Qarob)
"What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?" (Deuteronomy 4:7 NIV)
The places in my life where I most profoundly felt God's nearness were, without exception, the places where all other sources of strength and comfort felt most distant.
Of course, God had not gone anywhere. He was where He always is and always will be. When God seems far away, He is never the one who has moved.
When we are in empty places, His fullness feels nearer.
When we are in dark places, His light feels nearer.
When we are in needy places, His provision feels nearer.
When we are in grieving places, His comfort feels nearer.
When we are in thirsty places, His living water feels nearer.
And here's the thing: this heightened sense of God's steady nearness doesn't happen on the fringe of these places.
Daniel had to be IN the lion's den.
Joseph had to be IN jail.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to be IN the fiery furnace.
Jesus had to be IN the tomb.
In—IN—these places where every other kind of help and power seems (and is) distant, we recognize the big nearness of God. Again, He has neither shrunk nor moved. In these places, when we cry out to Him, He answers us, "I'm right here. I never left. I never will."
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!