"Seek the Lord.... while He is near". Does that mean that there is a time when He is not near? The verse leaves you with the impression that there may be a time when we have a need that the Lord may not be near so we can ask Him to meet the need. It leaves you "wondering" if or when He will come near so you can ask Him. It is more of a "hope" than an "assurance". It is the same "hope" that those who were at the Pool of Bethesda had. They hoped that the angel would come down and stir up the waters so they could get healed-- but they had no assurance that he would.
We don't have to live in "hope" and "wonder" concerning whether the Lord is near or not so we can make our petitions to Him. We have been given a "formula", if you will, that assures His nearness. It is called-- "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you". (James 4:8a) When we make the step to draw near to Him, He in turn draws near to us. When He draws near to us, we can ask Him our request.
There is also another "formula". "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3) It is praise! If you want to assure the "nearness" of the presence of God, then praise Him. He dwells in our praises.
How awesome it is that the Lord draws near to us at all-- that's grace. But He has also given us the assurance of His nearness by letting us know what "conditions" will cause Him to draw near. We can set an atmosphere that literally, according to His Word, brings Him near. It is when we draw near to Him and when we praise His holy name.
Have a great day. We don't have to hope the Lord is near when we need Him, we can know because He tells us what to do to ensure His presence is near.
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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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