A Word from the Word
The Nearness of God
Psalm 145:18–20
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. NIV
That’s important for you to understand: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him.” Somebody expressed it this way, “The Lord is as near to you as a prayer.” You can feel that God is far away, but all you have to do is to call on Him, to begin to pray to Him and that sense of His distance vanishes. You come into living contact with God.
To me, that’s one of the marvels of this life of faith – that I can just close my eyes, bow my head and immediately be in contact by prayer with almighty God. He is near to all who call upon Him. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him. If my heart is right with reverent fear and awe before God, then the desires that are in my heart and expressed by my prayer, He will fulfill. And when I cry to Him, He saves me, He watches over me because I’m committed to Him. That’s true for each one of us.
So, if you are feeling lonely, perplexed and you don’t know where to turn, remember: God is just as near to you as a prayer. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” There are no exceptions. Try calling upon Him and see what He will do for you.