When God Comes Near

 
by Richard Owen Roberts  Issue #4 January/February 1998 

 
Does God always stay the same distance from His children? Is He ever farther away or nearer?

Moses did not think that God was always the same distance away! He heard God say, "But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you . . .I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, lest I destroy you on the way." Moses courageously replied, "If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here" (Ex. 32:34, 33:3, 33:15, NASB).

Azariah, the son of Obed, did not think so. He was inspired to declare, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. And for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law" (2 Chron. 15:2�?, NASB).

The psalmist did not think so. He cried, "Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" (Ps. 10:1). "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Ps. 13:1). "Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me" (Ps. 71:12).

James did not think so. He wrote, "Come near to God and he will come near to you" (Jas. 4:8).

What do you think? Are there times when God seems purposefully distant from His people? Are there seasons when He is wonderfully near?

In my first book, Revival, I defined revival as "an extraordinary work of the Spirit of God producing extraordinary results." While this is accurate, I have since learned to define it simply as "God in the midst of His people." In order to fully appreciate this truth, however, it's important to distinguish between God's essential presence and His manifest presence.

Essential Presence

God fills heaven and earth! There is no place on this planet, or in all of the vast creation, where we can hide from God. This essential presence is in a den of iniquity as much as it is in a dedicated sanctuary. Unfortunately, knowing that God is everywhere doesn't necessarily cause us to sink to our knees in desperation over sin. Knowing that His presence is inescapable doesn't always cause us to flee to the arms of Christ for salvation and holiness.

 

Manifest Presence

 

Photograph by Mike Saunier
Rather, it is the manifest presence of God that so vitally impacts lives and society. When God draws near, incredible waves of anguish concerning sin pass over those He approaches. They feel their unworthiness deeply and express it freely. Think of Moses before the burning bush (Exodus 3). Consider Isaiah when he saw the Lord exalted on a throne (Isaiah 6). Remember the Apostle John, who fell as a dead man before the Lord when He showed Himself (Rev. 1:17). This manifest presence of God is the critical factor in revival. It is the urgent need in the church today.

When God is grieved with His people because of unconfessed or unrepented sin, He brings them under some form of righteous judgment, the most common of which is the withdrawal of His manifest presence. Happily, even while an entire nation of churches is under the severity of God's judgment, godly individuals and faithful churches can so cultivate God's presence—through humility, prayer, repentance, and seeking His face—that He will show Himself powerfully among them.

Nothing could be more desirable than God in the midst of His people. Oh, what an impact on sin it has. Oh, what a richness of blessing it brings. Was it ever more beautifully or eloquently expressed than in Ps. 73:28: "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good" (NASB)?

Tragically, we live in a time when the manifest presence of God is rarely experienced in the church. The less we experience God in this way, the less we fear Him—and the more corruption takes hold of the church and society. In some important respects, the world and the church of today can scarcely be distinguished from one another.

If we could only feel how Moses did: "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" (Ex. 33:15�?6).

The witness of the church is so intimately related to the manifest presence of God that, without it, the peoples of the world cannot, and will not, believe.

Consider Psalm 80, a psalm of Asaph, as a pattern for today's situation: "Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock" (v. 1). This cry for attention indicates an awareness that God is otherwise inclined. "You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth" (v. 1) plainly indicates a lack of the glory of God's presence. In verse two, Asaph urges the Lord to stir up His power to come and save His people, again implying His inactivity on their behalf. In verse four, Asaph laments God's anger against the prayers of His people, and he vividly describes their resulting tears (v. 5). In his portrayal of God's people as the object of their neighbors' contention and the laughingstock of their enemies, Asaph further signals the lack of God's manifest presence among them (v. 6).

As if all this is not enough, Asaph despairs that God has broken down the hedge of protection around His people: all who pass that way pick its fruit, a boar from the forest eats the vine away, and whatever moves in the field feeds on it (vv.12-13). Asaph's urgent plea in verse 14 is therefore no surprise: "Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine."

The heart of Psalm 80 is repeated three times: "Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved" (vv. 3, 7, 19). This ought to be the fervent prayer of every believer on earth today. We need nothing more desperately than to be turned from our own iniquity and have God's face shine upon us. This is the glorious wave that always accompanies the reentry of His manifest presence into the midst of His people.

Is this what you're praying for?

 

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About the author:
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Richard Owen Roberts is the president of International Awakening Ministries. He is an evangelist who travels the globe preaching on the theme of revival. Besides publishing numerous magazine articles, Richard has authored three books, Revival, Scotland Saw His Glory, and Salvation in Full Color (International Awakening Press).

Richard wrote this article because he wants readers to realize that "the nearness of God is [our] good," as the psalmist expressed it. Sin drives God from us, and humility and repentance cause Him to draw near. This is the greatest need of the hour.