The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 4:5b,
Just how "near" is the Lord? How accessible? How far do we have to reach in order to have made contact?
Paul says the Lord is near. His comment prefaces a truth to underscore what he is going to say next. He tells his readers there is no need for anxiety about anything if we would but take our concerns to him in prayer. He encourages us with the words that if we present our requests to God, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It is a peace that transcends all understanding.
What is the cause for the peace we might find through prayer in the midst of concerns that might cause anxiety? He is near! He listens! He responds! The Lord is in heaven at the right hand of the Father and will remain there until he returns at his second coming to earth, Acts 3:21. What he does while in heaven is to speak to the Father on our behalf, "Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34b.
While Jesus is in heaven, the Holy Spirit is right here with us - within us. The Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Spirit of Christ. Paul tells us, "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." Romans 8:9. Of the many things the Spirit - who dwells within us - does is to pray on our behalf as we struggle, "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." Romans 8:26-27.
How near is the Lord to believers? Very near! Right within us... he could not be any closer! Our access to the throne in heaven exists right within us. We could not have closer, more immediate access to the One in heaven who loves us so much he sent his Son to die for us!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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