"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." Psalm 145:18, NIV.
NEAR
So often we feel like we are slouching through life's dark challenges alone, but here is a reminder that "The Lord is near..." It is a fact we can count on, and rejoice in. We can be confident he understands and he cares. We do not need to say, "I wish someone knew what I am going through," because He is near; He knows.
WHO
Just who is he that is near? The LORD of the Universe, The Owner Of All things, The Creator, The All-Powerful God who angels obey and demons fear. No president, dictator, general, bully, or any other mean thing can resist him! He is the one who is near!
CALL ON THE LORD
We must remember to "call on the Lord," often in prayer. This is not just quick to the point prayer in the midst of trials, or the "Hour of Prayer, but to "Call on the Lord," has the idea of being urgent; it is here and now while the battle is fought. There is no need to fight on alone, we have a companion near actively fighting alongside us. The Lord is as near as our prayer.
All
The Lord wants "all' of us to "call on him." He is not waiting for just the select few or the super holy people to "Call on him." he is near to all. Whoever you are, whatever you have done, or wherever you came from He is listening for you to call.
TRUTH
God does want us to "Call on him in truth." God does not like to be used any more than we do. He wants us to respect his holiness and come truthfully and honestly. God can see through our falsehoods and phoniness. We need to examine our motivations in our prayers often to see if we have some hidden agenda or pride or selfishness in them. Many times when we call on the Lord in our daily trials we find we need to bring in confession and humility with the cry.
No one truly understands the help He brings but we know that the Lord is near and waiting for our invitation for Him to join in our struggles.
