HOPE IN GOD’S NEARNESS

“But as for me, the NEARNESS of GOD is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works” – Psalm 73:28 (NET)

HOPE in GOD’s NEARNESS – the constant Presence of God in our lives – is of utmost importance: “But as for me, the NEARNESS of GOD is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works” (Psa. 73:28, New English Translation). Psalm 73 speaks of God’s presence in the midst of pain; His nearness in the thick of negativities. After considerable agony over the prosperity of the wicked and the seeming suffering of the saints, the Psalmist came to understand that the ultimate blessing in life is not earthly prosperity or the absence of temporal troubles, but the Presence and Nearness of God, even if this becomes real in apparently unpalatable situations (vv.25-28). The Psalmist concludes: “For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish…but it is good for me to draw near to God” (vv.27-28a, NKJV).

God’s promise to be near to His people, and the great lengths He’s gone to commune with us in the Holy Spirit, has the power to change every moment of our lives. One of the most powerful changes His nearness brings is renewed HOPE, and the accompanying PEACE. As children of the Most High, faith founded on His nearness should be at the core of our hope. There is no greater source of hope than God’s resounding declaration of His nearness. Jesus paid the ultimate price that we might be no longer separated from God. His Presence now dwells within us through the Holy Spirit. That fact brings an inescapable hope that should profoundly impact all aspects of our lives.

While the rest of the world sighs in fear and wallows in worry over what the future holds, our God is leading us in the path of peace that comes from trusting in His nearness. But the choice is ours. Would we place our hope in ourselves, others, in groaning governments, sinking society, or in God? If we build our hope on the foundering foundations of this world, we will find ourselves tossed about by the shifting sands of secular philosophies and human opinion. But if we choose to found our hope on the Rock of God’s nearness, our lives will be filled with all the goodness and mercy of His steadfast love.

God who dwells within us knows every detail that will happen in Time because He dwells within all of eternity. Time for Him is not as it is for us. And He promises to be with us in the midst of any trial, trouble, pain or pressure. However tough life’s battles may be; however depressed or defeated we may sometime feel, God’s nearness is the assurance of our Victory. He longs for us to know His Nearness moment by moment in all we do. As we meditate on the promises in His word, we allow the Scriptures to fill us with hope founded on His nearness: “And He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exo.33:14). Prayerfully place your hope for the future in the loving nearness of your heavenly Father.

Beloved, our Father says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa.41:10). You can have the fullness of hope for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and the rest of your life, because He who fashioned time is “your God.” Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make room for Him to fill. Trust that He will always be with you, to help through thick and thin.

Cast all your cares, worries, secret stress, fear of failure and of the unknown, and uncertainties to the Lord in worship, prayer, and praise: “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1Pet.5:7). Exchange the negative emotions for the peace and comfort that comes from knowing that God is and will always be near to you.