The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
Psalm 145:18 NIV
People who have experienced repeated disappointments with their parents or spouses or any other significant relationship that they trusted may develop an image of an unreliable God. They may possibly see Him as a God who cannot be trusted – a God who cannot be counted on. Because of their ‘ugly’ experience, they may see God as one who makes promises He may not keep. Loving one day and unaccountably angry the next; near today and thousands of miles away the next.
But I would like to present to you, or perhaps remind you that the God of the Bible is the Faithful One. He is the Rock, the Fortress. He is reliable and dependable. His nearness, especially in times of need is incomparable to none. So also is His faithfulness, mercy, compassion, and love.
The God that is always near
The Israelites had several times of need on their way into the promised land. God always came through for them, therefore, they unreservedly proclaimed that:
No other nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the Lord our God is to us. He answers us whenever we call for help.
Deuteronomy 4:7 GNT
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion for all he has made. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalms 145:8-9, 13, 16-18 NIV
He is the God who answers whenever we call on Him. He comes near to rescue all who call upon him in sincerity and truth. Prophet Habakkuk faced several issues in his days. At some point, he was probably becoming weary because God had not yet shown up. But with an unrelenting crying to God, he had Him answer his prayer.
Consider this discussion between Habakkuk (an ordinary man like you and me) and God Almighty:
How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV
And the LORD replied:
Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
Habakkuk 1:5 NIV
Remove the barriers
An ordinary man like you and I moved God into action by His prayer; a sincere prayer from a pure heart. The bible says in 1 John 3:21-22 (AMP) that “…if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God; and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].” If I may ask you, are you sure that your life is pleasing before God? Are you living according to His words? I would like to invite you today into this place of confidence. The place of assurance that comes from a habitual relationship with the Lord.
If we would be willing to engage God, then we can be sure that He will come through for us also. He has done it before and He can do it again, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
