God Is Near
Psalms 145:17-20 (NIV UK) —
‘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. He fulfils the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.’
Recently, I’ve been struck by this passage from Henri Nouwen: ‘Don't you often hope: “May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country or relationship fulfil my deepest desire.” But as long as you are waiting for that mysterious moment you will go on running helter-skelter, always anxious and restless, always lustful and angry, never fully satisfied. You know that this is the compulsiveness that keeps us going and busy, but at the same time makes us wonder whether we are getting anywhere in the long run. This is the way to spiritual exhaustion and burn-out.’*
This is a feeling that I guess we’ve all experienced, where we put our hopes in something or someone, only to find that it doesn’t truly satisfy us. Psalm 145 tells us that the true answer to our deepest desires is not found in a person, thing or event, but in relationship with God. We don’t need to continue the endless search that Nouwen describes, as God is ‘near to all who call on him’.
I want to end our week in this Psalm on this thought, as I think it's an important truth for us to hold onto as we begin the new year. Many of us have goals and dreams for 2023, and that’s a good thing. However, it’s important to recognise their limits - achieving them won’t ultimately satisfy us and, if we push on in the hope that they might, we’ll risk ‘burn out’ and disappointment. Rather, my hope for myself and my prayer for you is that in 2023 we will prioritise spending time in the presence of God, the One who can truly meet our deepest desires. From that place of encounter we will draw strength in all that we do and face.
Reflect - How could you prioritise the presence of God in a new way this year? What could get in the way?
*Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, 1992.