“The Lord is near.”
Those four words from Philippians 4:5 are a powerful reminder of God’s presence when anxiety, fear, and difficult circumstances begin to overwhelm us. It’s easy to become so focused on our problems that they start to feel more real than the presence of God. We can become consumed by what is happening around us and forget that God is right there with us. But the Lord is near.
Kami uses the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus to show how easily we can miss God even when He is right beside us. The disciples were discouraged and overwhelmed by what had happened, yet Jesus was walking with them the entire time. Their circumstances had become so consuming that they didn't recognize the One who was already near. Sometimes anxiety does the same thing to us. It makes our problems louder while making God's presence seem distant.
The nearness of God is also connected to rest. In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was designed to keep God's people from constantly striving and working. Kami describes the Lord as being “a Sabbath day walk” away, reminding us that we don't have to run ourselves into the ground trying to reach Him. Psalm 62 tells us to find rest in God because our hope comes from Him. When anxiety tells us to strive harder, control more, and figure everything out ourselves, God's presence invites us to stop, breathe, and trust Him.
Through the story of Israel crossing the Jordan River, we also see the difference between the Old Covenant and what Jesus accomplished for us. The Israelites were instructed to keep their distance from the Ark of the Covenant so they could see where God's presence was leading them. But when Jesus declared, “It is finished,” the veil of the temple was torn. Through Jesus, the barrier was removed. We are no longer being told to stay at a distance. God has made a way for us to draw near to Him.
Psalm 46 reminds us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. His presence doesn't mean that difficult circumstances will never come. It means we don't have to face those circumstances alone. The Holy Spirit lives within us, bringing God's presence into our homes, workplaces, schools, and everyday lives. When we are struggling with anxiety or uncertainty, we can find peace by remembering that God is with us.
That becomes especially clear in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God didn't keep them from entering the fiery furnace, but He met them there. They were not alone in the fire. The same God who was with them is with us when we find ourselves in situations we never expected to face. Even when God doesn't immediately change our circumstances, we can trust that He is present and working in the middle of them.
Sometimes trusting God also means learning to wait. We may wonder if God has forgotten us when His promises seem to take longer than we expected. But God's promises don't expire simply because the waiting feels long. The Israelites waited for the Promised Land, and God's timing was still at work. Waiting does not mean God is absent.
The response is not simply to try harder to feel God's presence. It is to recognize that He is already near. Repentance can mean changing our perspective and direction, turning away from anxiety, complaining, and self-reliance and aligning ourselves with where God is going. The cross and resurrection have already made a way for us to draw near.
Whatever you are facing, the Lord is near. He is near when you're anxious, near when you're waiting, near when you're struggling to trust, and even near when you're walking through the fire. God's presence may not always change the circumstances around us, but it changes the way we walk through them. When we remember that God is with us, we can face difficult circumstances with greater peace, trust, and faith.
