The Nearness of God is Truly my Good

A few months ago, my little girls and I were at the zoo. While we sat down to eat a snack, I heard a little boy screaming, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" He was running, frantically trying to find his mom. He couldn't see her, and there was such terror in his voice. He thought he was lost. His mom was actually quite close to him, and ran after him. "Son! I'm right here! Love, don’t be afraid!" She picked him up and embraced him, calming him with her presence.
This is such a vivid illustration of what happens when I fear. Temptation to fear is one of my most frequent battles as I seek to live by faith and not by sight. This year the Lord has revealed something precious to me in His word through this struggle: the Lord is especially near the fearful heart. My Father in Heaven comforts me, just as the mom I saw comforted her son with her presence. His commands not to fear are spoken with tender love.
From the first moment Adam and Eve sinned, they hid in fear. Yet He came close, clothed them and promised them a Savior (Gen. 3: 8, 15, 21). Let’s listen together to his voice as he continues to speak to His fearful people in the Scriptures:

Genesis 15:1- “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.”
Genesis 26:24- “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you.”
Deuteronomy 31: 8- "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Psalm 118: 6-7- “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.”
Isaiah 41: 10- "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Haggai 2: 4-5- “For I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty. This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

Can you see how near He is to the fearful one? Ed Welch says in Running Scared: “God’s assurance of his presence spans all Scripture. By the time we get to Abraham’s son Isaac, the connection between our fear and God’s promise of his presence is well established. From here on out, “I will be with you” will become like a motto.” We see His nearness in Christ. Christ is Immanuel, God with us. He is not ashamed to identify Himself with us, and call Himself our brother (Heb. 2: 11-12).

I am thankful for the way Jesus is using my tendency to fear to reveal to me in His word how near He is to me. As this year ends I am thankful for the nearness of God. I can say with the Psalmist “we give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near.” (Psalm 75: 1).