The Lord Is Near

Photo Credit: Tarik Haiga

June 17, 2026

Praying Friends,

If you're a parent, you have likely experienced your child waking up in the middle of the night frightened by a bad dream. The room is dark, the shadows are threatening, and the fear feels overwhelming. Your child does not stop to formulate a plan or analyze the situation. Instead, she simply cries out, "Mom!" or “Dad!”

Why? Because she knows one or the other is near and will respond!

There may or may not be a real threat, but if there is, the one to handle the problem is Mom or Dad.

In Psalm 119:145-152 (Hebrew letter Qoph), the psalmist is aware of two realities: First, that the enemy is near (verse 150) and second, the LORD is near (verse 151). The danger causes him to cry for help.

The lesson for us is clear: When trouble presses in, draw near to God because He is always near enough to hear your cry for help.

Notice his words in the NIV translation:

I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD, and I will obey your decrees. I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws. Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law. Yet you are near, LORD, and all your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.

The author shares four truths about seeking after God:

Firstly, the psalmist called to his God with wholeheartedness. He said, “I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD, and I will obey your decrees” (Psalm 119:145).

There is both sincerity and intensity in his cry. This is not a half-hearted casual approach to God. This is a man who understands who God is and what He can do.

He is not settling for mediocrity. He calls out to God and expects Him to answer. Interestingly, with his request for help, he affirms his allegiance and obedience to God’s Word.

Secondly, the psalmist called to his God with earnestness. He said, “I rise before dawn and cry for help” (Psalm 119:147).

There is intentionality in his words and actions. While others may have been sleeping, he was in the throne room of God imploring Him for support. He was demonstrating through his actions that this is a priority in his life. 

The Hebrew word for cry in this verse is (shava), meaning to cry for freedom, to cry out, or to shout for help. While we should always be in conversation with our God, there are times of desperation that cause us to “cry out” to our God for special deliverance.

Next, the psalmist called to his God with desperation. He said, “Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law” (Psalm 119:150).

The plight of the writer is urgent and serious. There will always be wicked people devising evil to thwart the plans of God and His people, but in this case, the psalmist said that they are near.

When the enemy is near, we need to be vigilant. 

Lastly, the psalmist called to his God with assurance. He said, “I have put my hope in your word” (Psalm 119:147), and “You are near, LORD, and all your commands are true” (Psalm 119:151).

True faith does not pretend, deny, or sidestep the reality of a situation. It faces it honestly and brings it to the LORD. There may be fear, anxiety, and danger, but the problem is brought to God out of sheer anguish.

Peter, quoting the words of David from Psalm 34, says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).

With the reality of the enemy being near it is comforting to know the LORD is also near. 

As we pray today for the prodigals and for revival, may we remember that our God, our Father, our LORD is close by.

In Christ’s name,

Bryan and Rachel