“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
In this time of uneasiness and not knowing what tomorrow brings in this world; it is a great comfort to know the One Who holds our future in His hands. We forget that as Christians, we have a Heavenly Father just waiting to hear from us. How quickly we get away from God as we sin and lead our own life so that when crises comes we have to turn completely and many times repent of so much before our fellowship is restored and we are able to be near Him again.
In Zephaniah 3:2 we see that the nation of Israel was a disappointment because “She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.” What happened? Hard times and judgments came. She did not listen to her God and got far away. We can learn so much from the nation of Israel.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Can we be so close to God that we are willing to suffer for Him? A little food shortage or an inconvenience of staying home is not suffering for Him. However, this could be a precursor of what may come in our lives so we need to fall on our knees and ask God to keep our attitude just towards Him and in front of others as we draw close to God. Is your song still “nearer my God to Thee”?
Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Do you remember the story of Jacob and Esau? Jacob and his mother decided he needed the elder’s blessing and so they deceived Isaac. In Genesis 28:11, Jacob flees after this and comes to a place to rest his weary head. His pillow was a stone. “…he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.”
God let him know that He would be with him and guide him through life. God promised not to leave Jacob and to be by his side. Jacob awoke and repented and realized that God had spoken to him. He set up an altar to God there and called the name of the place Bethel. Jacob, through his dreams, realized he was nearer to God.
There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee;
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
In this verse, Jacob woke out of stony grief to see that he did have a God that forgave and he had praises for his God! He also realized that in worshiping God by setting up an altar to Him; it was his grief and difficulties that brought him closer to God. Can we raise ourselves out of grief and realize that through difficult times we can come closer to God?
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony grief’s Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Sometimes, we get away from God in our lives and we need a reviving, a time to go back to Bethel and start again. We have not lost our salvation but our fellowship with Him. He is far and not near. We need Him near every moment of every day.