April 16, 2020 -- Psalm 119:151 -- Proving the nearness of God

But you are near, O LORD,

and all your commandments are true.

Psalm 119:151 English Standard Version

The Psalm writer has been awake in the night and praying to God. The Psalm writer has experienced troubles and cried out to the LORD. Now there is a two-verse resolution. This day we consider the first verse of this couplet of resolution. It could almost read: despite all of these things I listed before, You are near, O LORD.

Evidences of the nearness of God include:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). Creation itself tells us of the LORD our God’s glory and nearness.

And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” Genesis 8:20-22. After the world-wide flood that wiped out all of humanity except believing Noah and his family, God promised humanity His covenant faithfulness and nearness verified in the day and night, and in the way one season follows another. These declare He is near and faithful. I believe this is one of the reasons Spring makes us leap like calves loosed from their winter stalls.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14-16). The Spirit of God Who lives in us reminds us that we are sons and daughters of God because of Jesus’ accomplished work.

Even the commandments of God remind us of the nearness of the LORD. As we live for Jesus, obeying Him and denying ourselves our old sinful ways we see the fruit of new life taking hold of us. This too convinces us of the nearness of God and His goodness! Matthew 7:15-19 notes that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor can a good tree produce bad fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us of the fruit of the Spirit’s work in us, producing Christ-like character in us.

Some of you may object: but I don’t feel His nearness. Understood. Let me ask you a few questions:

Are your feelings always accurate? No, they can deceive you. Our churning emotions can be too hard to interpret or understand. These feelings can change in an instant, inexplicably rising or falling

Are you cultivating the awareness of His nearness? Are you speaking with Him, accepting the promise that He is near and His Spirit lives in you?

Are you reading the Bible which proves the rock-solid promises of God while revealing how unreliable feelings by themselves are?

Test God by His promises. He has promised He is near. Take up the gifts which evidence His nearness: read the Word. Pray. Obey. You will see He is near to You in each step and such knowledge will be like the parting of storm clouds pierced by the rays of His radiant light of love and faithfulness.

Blessed God, You promised us in Your Word that You are near. Help us this day to know the Spirit’s witness to our hearts, speaking to us in the very depths of our need and loneliness: “Abba, Father”. Spirit of God, as we recommit to reading the Word and prayer, let us know the glorious work of Jesus Christ which caused us to be sons and daughters, not by our human efforts, but Your divine decree. Renew in us the joy of Your salvation. Amen.