The One Who Is Always Near

• Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Explain.

• Some people say, “If you feel far away from God, guess who moved?” What does that saying mean to you?

We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 75:1

It’s interesting that this verse about God’s nearness comes from the book of Psalms. Elsewhere in the book, we find several examples of psalmists feeling abandoned by God, or at least feeling distant from him. Psalm 13:1 and Psalm 22:1 are just two examples.

Yet Psalm 75:1, not to mention many, many other passages, shows us that those feelings of abandonment are just our human emotions playing tricks on us. Some people think that if hard times come, it’s because God has left. But God never promised us that life would be easy. In fact, he makes it clear that hard times are unavoidable.

That doesn’t change the fact that God will not abandon his people. We never have to ask, “God, where were you while I was going through that difficult time?” He never left. He was there every step of the way.

If you ever doubt God’s closeness, pray. Tell God how you feel. Ask him to make himself known to you. He will answer your prayer, although it may not be immediately. Sometimes faith is a matter of believing in God’s faithfulness and closeness even when there is no sense of his presence. In those cases, we need to remember, like the psalmist, what God has done in the past and affirm his faithfulness today.

PRAYER
Dear God, if we whispered this prayer, you would still be close enough to hear every word. Thank you for never leaving our side. Amen.