The nearness of God is my good

Where will a Christian find his "good?" Does it come from the world, or from God?

In Psalm 73, the psalmist laments that the rich do not seem to struggle with circumstances as other men do. Their wealth provides their security, and they want for nothing.

v. 5    They are not in trouble as other men,

          Nor are they plagued like other men.

v. 7    Their eyes bulge with abundance;

          They have more than heart could wish.

In fact, the psalmist admits to coveting their riches:

v. 3    For I was envious of the boastful,

          When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Yet, by the end of the psalm, he writes:

v. 28   But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

           have made the Lord God my refuge,

           That I may tell of all Your works.

The psalmist states that his "good" comes from God being near, not from abundance and wealth. What changed in the intervening verses?

It is this, that the psalmist has seen what is the end of rich men without God:

v. 18    Surely You set them in slippery places;

            You cast them down to destruction.

v. 19    Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!

            They are utterly consumed with terrors.

The writer realizes that true wealth and lasting abundance come from One and One only – God. Physical riches can be lost, temporal power can fade, and strong bodies can become frail.

But the power that comes from being right with God is eternal:

v. 26    My flesh and my heart fail;

            But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For those that abandon God to seek earthly gain the future is truly bleak:

v. 27    For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;

            You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

So, what does it take to be near to God? 

One must rely on God, trusting Him to fulfill His promises. When we are in dire circumstances, rather than depending on worldly sources, we turn to Him:

Psa 145:18    The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

                      To all who call upon Him in truth.

And the Lord will reciprocate! When we seek Him, He allows Himself to be found. He is a loving father, who desires to be close to His children.

James 4:8    Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We need to approach him in truth and purity. But how is that possible, for sinners such as ourselves to be pure? Only through Christ can we be cleansed!

On the cross, Jesus took away the stain of sin and began the work of sanctification in us. Only He can truly purify our hearts – we are incapable of doing so on our own.

The way to nearness to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ!

By repenting of our sins, and placing our faith in Jesus as our Savior, our sins are placed upon Him, and His righteousness (sinlessness, purity, perfection) is credited to us as if it were our own. What a marvelous gift!

The Lord, through Jesus, gives us what we need in order to be able to draw close to Him. Without Jesus, our unrighteousness and unworthiness keep us from even wanting to be close to Him. We are scoffers and rejecters of the truth.

But when God calls us near, through His Son, we are able to be close and rest in His peace. We no longer need to fear the passing of worldly riches, because our true treasure rests in Him!

If you have repented and put your faith in Jesus then you ARE near to God. Take comfort from that truth.