The Incredible Blessing that God is Near You

My wife and I are empty nesters. We live in the Chicago area and our children live in California and New York. We wish we lived closer but at this stage of our lives we’re each where we believe God wants us to be. We’re fortunate to live in an era of easy and efficient travel. We can get on a plane and be in southern California in 4 to 5 hours and in New York in 2 to 3 hours. Even when we aren't with them we can easily communicate. We regularly text, email, talk on the phone or video chat. In the past 24 hours we've been in contact with each of our kids in different ways. Sometimes we’ll go a day or two without communicating but usually not more than that. We’re separated geographically but our lives are still intertwined. Being able to communicate easily and frequently eases the pain of them being far away. Our regular communication makes them seem near. In my Bible reading this morning this verse seemed to pop off the page at me,

For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? Deuteronomy 4:7

The children of Israel were getting ready to go into the land God promised them as an inheritance. Moses was exhorting them to be obedient to the Lord. They had the bad habit of mixing with the ungodly people of the land. The problem was they didn't influence the ungodly people to be godly. Instead they adopted ungodly habits which included idol worship. Moses was making an argument for being faithful to the Lord. Idols aren't near when you need them. The Lord God was. [Tweet "Our heavenly Father wants to be intertwined in our lives"] Here are 5 things to remember about how our God is near to us.

5 Truths About How God is Near

1. God seeks to be near to us Genesis 3:8-9. Even after Adam and Eve sinned the Lord God still looked for them.[Tweet "When was the last time you spent time with God? He’s been looking for you."]
2. Sin is what separates us from God Romans 3:23.[Tweet "It was never God’s intention that anything come between us"]
3. God made it possible for us to be near to Him 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 2:1-2 Jesus became sin for us, so we could have His righteousness when we believe in His death, burial and resurrection for us. Jesus continually satisfies the Father each time we sin as His children.
4. God wants us to draw near to Him James 4:8[Tweet "If you walk toward God you will find Him waiting for you"]
5. It requires faith to draw near to God Hebrews 11:6 He only asks you to believe that He, your God is near. That’s something only you can do!

It’s mind boggling to think that God is near. He wants to be close to you. Close your eyes and imagine He’s sitting right beside you now. Because He is. Go ahead, spend some time with Him. He’s been looking forward to it. I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment or question below.