Ancient pagan gods were always thought of as far away. But what about our Lord and Savior? We receive the answer in John 1:14So the Word (Jesus) became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. [1] Jesus made His home with us in the flesh when He came to the earth. Our God is not far away and after the Spirit came on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer. Also, God is everywhere. In our story of the crucifixion, where was Jesus in relationship to the criminals crucified with Him?
Luke 23:32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.[2]
Why is this such an important fact about the crucifixion? The criminals were far from God in a spiritual sense, as we see in Matthew 27:44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. [3] But they were very close to Jesus in a physical sense.
In Psalm 139:8 makes it clear no matter where we go the Lord is near.Even when we don’t know God, He is always near. 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. [4] How comforting it is to know that wherever we go, God is there with us. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations and wonder if God is paying attention. We may feel so alone and even depressed, but God is always there, and we can speak to Him in prayer at any time.
What does this tell us about God that He is always near?
It tells us that God cares and watches over us. God knows what is going on in our life and the struggles that we have. Our God is always at work in our lives to comfort people and to lead them to faith if they don’t know Him. It tells us that God never gives up. It tells us that you are important to God and He longs for a relationship with you.
God is with us, giving us hope, leading us, guiding us, loving us, providing for us and all with His unlimited resources. What do you need? Do you need hope, strength, peace, love, joy, or hope? He has it all. He is longing to pour out His favor and blessing upon us. We need to be open to Him and to trust Him. We need, by faith, to receive what He has for us. It is essential we realize how much He loves us and that He has a good purpose and plan for us.
God is near us and as we draw closer to God he draws even closer to us as we read in James 4:8Come near to God and he will come near to you. [5]
To hear more about Hope in the Last Hour, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/hope-in-the-last-hour
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 1:14). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 23:32–33). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[3-5] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Mt 27:44). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.