The Scriptures are like a magnifying glass.  They focus my sight and enlarge my understanding of God. In so doing, they draw me into closer, deeper intimacy with God. To develop intimacy with God we must know and understand truths about God. These truths reveal God’s character and heart towards us. They strengthen our faith and draw us deeper in a trusting relationship with God.  In addition, they provide us with reasons to genuinely praise God, as the psalmist states.

Psalm 75:1 reveals and magnifies the truth that God is near to us,

• “We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.”

The phrase “your Name is near” means that God is near to us. God’s name(s) are very important because they represent who God is. For example, in Exodus 3:14 God reveals that His Name is Yahweh – I AM WHO I AM. That term means God is self-existing and is the source of all life and existence.  God Is.

When the psalmist writes that “the Name of God is near,” he means Yahweh, the “I AM”- the source of all existence is near to us. It is reassuring to know that the “Life giving God” is near me.  This truth has given me courage and comfort as I walk through the various challenges and trials of life.

In Joshua 22: 22a some of the Israelites call God by the name LORD (Yahweh) and then they pair that name with Elohim which means “the Mighty One.”

• “The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! The LORD, the Mighty One, is God!” Josh.22:22a

So, in Psalm 75:1 when the psalmist says “for Your Name is near,” he is saying, “God the Mighty One,” is near to me and to you.

I am encouraged to know that God, the Mighty One who has all power and strength is near me.  When I am feeling weak, vulnerable, frustrated and overwhelmed with life; knowing that I can turn to “the Mighty One” for help gives me relief. He is by my side. I am not alone.

We could go through the list of the names for God and get the same reassurance in faith as with these two examples, that the God, who is the definition of all His Names, is near to us.

In Other Words
The scriptures provide many ways of conveying this truth that God is near; that He is a personal God involved in our life.  God is not just a distant power, but rather, He is a God who seeks to be close to us all the time and most especially in our times of need.

Here are some of the ways the Spirit confirms this truth.

• Psalm 34:18 – The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
• Psalm 145:18 – The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
• Psalm 119:151 – You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are truth.
• Psalm 16:8- I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
• Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble.
• Psalm 73:28 – But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 119:7-10 poetically expresses this continual nearness and presence of God who acts on my behalf.

• “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

Hard to Believe
When I am hurting, feeling confused by the difficulties of life, or betrayed by my own contrary nature which often seems to default to thinking, saying and doing things I don’t really want to,  I can struggle with believing God is near, or that God even wants me to be near Him.

This thinking is flawed and not based on truth.  God wants to be near us, He wants to have a deep personal friendship with us. The scriptures reassure us of this truth.

In James 4:8a we read, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” So, it is not a matter of whether God wants to be near me, but whether I am choosing to come near to Him, and whether I am making moves towards Him in faith.

In Ephesians 1: 4 and 2:13, we read how God brings all men near to Him through the blood of Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles: “ For He chose us (meaning Israel) in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love, He preplanned for us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will. . . 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you (all Gentile believers) who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

God’s desire for us to be near Him, in a very personal relationship with Him, was not a mere “good idea,” but it became reality in sending Jesus to destroy the barrier of sin between God and us so we could be near God.

This truth is written for us in Colossians 1:21-22, ” Once you were alienated from God (separated from Him) and you were enemies in your mind because of your evil behavior, but now He has reconciled you (brought you near) by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight…”.

There’s More – God is in Us!
God is so “near” that He is in us who believe and were baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27). The scripture speaks this truth in many forms. At times, when I am lost in my “self,” I need to be reminded of this truth. Here are a few encouraging passages for study and meditation.

• “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
• “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27
• “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him/her.” John 14:23
• “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

 Let This Truth Draw You
This truth that God wants to be near us and has made a way for us to be near Him, draws me to desire to develop intimacy with God.  It emboldens me to trust in Him. This truth increases my esteem and value of God. His desire to be near me shows me that I am valued by Him. This fills me with a sense of security and acceptance, and desire to take time to be deep with Him.

• Meditate on this truth, that God is near to you. Consider these questions:
  What does this truth that God is near me and in me mean to my faith and my life?
• Have I been living in the presence of God?
• What will I do today to draw near to God?
• Take some time to give praise and thanks to God for choosing to be close to you.