“We give thanks to you, God; we give thanks to you, for your name is near”(Psalm 75:1).
God, our Father and Friend, is not far away. He is not aloof, unapproachable, withdrawn, or distant. His “name is Near.”
The Creator didn’t form and fashion His creation and then withdraw to the seclusion of a far-off realm. He came near.
He doesn’t demand that we earn the right to enter His presence. Rather, He purposefully removed the barrier, the veil, and has invited His beloved children to enter His presence (Hebrews 4:15-16). “The Lordis near all who call out to him … he hears their cry for help and saves them” (Psalm 145:18–19). He beckons, “Seek the Lord … call to him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
Quoting from Isaiah 7:14, the angel comforted Joseph, and the same promise still comforts us. “See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated ‘God is with us’ ”(Matthew 1:23).
Like a trembling child, we need not fear the dark unknown because “the Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). His “name is Near.”
“… think on these things”(Philippians 4:8, KJV). |