A Characteristic of God is that He is NEAR!

Psalm 75:1 - “We give thanks, for your Name is near …”

 

Remember when this was written, God’s presence was in the tabernacle followed by the Temple. Even in the Old Testament, we see that God does not simply dwell in a structure … the very mention of His name and He is near.

 

How do you know when something is near or close? Your senses tell that you are near something or close to something. When I am close to boiling water, I can see the bubbles, watch the steam and I can put my hand up and feel the heat on the palm of my hand. When I am close to a light bulb, I can see the light, but I can also feel it. When I am close to a campfire, I can see it and I can smell it and I can usually hear it. The same is true of the close character of God … I have to choose to use my senses.

 

When I neglect my senses, I get burned by the boiling water, I stumble around in the dark, and I can start a forest fire by neglecting the campfire…When we neglect the close character of God, we stumble and we become afraid …we allow fear takes control of our situation.

 

Corrie ten Boom said, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it get gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”

 

Psalm 75 is teaching us to sit still and trust God because he is close, he is near … It is in God’s Character to be near!

 

I am so grateful for the nearness of God. You know I love ya, Don

Definition of Fear ... if we trust God, why do we fear?

We serve a good, good God…He is not a God fear or regret … Fear is the emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being threatened cause us to be scared. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real… What scares God? Obviously, nothing! God is in control and will remain in control of all things. I love to sing … How great is our God! He is God. So, If God is on our side, what do we have to fear?

Something to ponder, you know I love ya, Don

Proximity Matters!!!

-->

In 1 Samuel 3 we read; "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, ’Here I am.’"

Where was Samuel when God 1st called his name? He was lying down in the Temple of the Lord where the Ark was.

Now, I believe that every word of Scripture is there for a reason. For example, in this passage, God could simply have said: “Samuel was sleeping” BUT God goes into detail. It’s as if God is saying: "I want you to know WHERE Samuel was sleeping."

This might be a Donism…but why would God give us these details? I believe it was because God wanted us to see that when Samuel heard God’s voice he was sleeping NEXT to God. In Other Words: Physical, emotional, logical, and spiritual Proximity is critical: If you’re gonna hear – you’ve gotta be near.

I have a terrible habit of talking to Karen when she is in the other room. She can’t hear what I am saying. She can hear me, but the distance muddles the message and the message doesn’t get received. When we are out in the world, living in the world’s sins, and embracing what the world is throwing our way…the message God is saying is muffled, distorted, and not within proximity for it to be heard.

James 4:8 "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you."

Jesus said in John 8:47, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” – in other words, Jesus is saying those who belong to God…listen to God and in order to listen to have to be in proximity of God.

If you want to hear God speak, you must be close to God. If you’re going to hear God’s voice; if you’re going to know His will - you’ve got to be in the same room as He is. That’s why Church attendance is critical. That’s why Bible Study is essential. Jesus said: "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name - there I am in the midst of you."

Another, but no less critical activity that places you "in the same room, is prayer. I’m not just talking arrow prayers or emergency prayers… but a "sit down and spend time with God" type prayers.

Draw close to Him ... You know I love ya, Don