The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. – Psalm 145:18
Do you ever have days when God just doesn’t seem very near? Maybe you’ve experienced times when you’ve wondered whether He has even heard your prayers. What do you do when those times come? King David, a man after God’s own heart, still sometimes felt that he had been abandoned by the Lord. Yet, he had established a pattern for his own self-encouragement during those times, and he would begin by praising God for His faithfulness and His goodness.
In his commentary on today’s Psalm, theologian Matthew Henry writes, “God will be nigh to all that call upon him; he will be always within call of their prayers, and they shall always find themselves within reach of his help.” He adds, “He will hear and help us if we fear him, if we worship and serve him with a holy awe of him, for otherwise how can we expect that he should accept us? … He desires the truth in the inward part. We must be faithful to God and sincere in our professions of dependence on him.” A lack of spiritual integrity puts a believer out of truth, which affects both your nearness to God and your ability to hear His answer.
You may be familiar with the first sentence of James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” It is a promise, but with it, as the remainder of the verse indicates, is the proviso, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Your walk with the Lord must be based in humility, with sins confessed, and in a sincere desire to be a consistent follower of His Word.
In Psalm 63, David prayed, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you, and my soul thirsts for you.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NASB) contains the promise, “If you seek Him, He will let you find him,” but you must be willing to serve Him with a “whole heart and a willing mind.”
Theologian Charles Spurgeon said the Lord “does not leave praying men and women who confess his name to battle with the world alone,” but all who place themselves beneath the power of His Name shall find Him to be a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Commit to developing a pattern of praise and worship in your life. As you draw near to the Lord in integrity and in the acknowledgment of who He is, He will be near to you. “All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near; Praise Him in glad adoration.”
Today’s Verse: Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Psalm 145
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
