God Is Close, and He Understands
By Rick Warren
“The Lord is near to all who call on him” (Psalm 145:18a NIV).
God is not as far away as the furthest star. He’s as close as your next heartbeat. He’s right there with you every moment. The Bible says in Acts 17:27, “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us” (NIV).
You might feel like God is a million miles away. But your feelings and reality don’t always match — we all know that’s true. The truth is, God is with you right now.
Because he is a close Father:
God is never too busy for you.That’s how close he is. That’s the kind of love that he has for you. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him. . .”(NIV). Every time you call, God is near. He thinks about you a lot more than you think about him. He thought about you before you were born. He thinks about you every moment of every day. The truth is,too many times we get too busy for God. But he never gets too busy for us.
God loves to meet your needs.He doesn’t do it begrudgingly. He loves it! Mathew 7:11 says, “If you ... know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him” (NIV).You can enjoy the fact that God loves giving good gifts to you.
God is sympathetic to your hurts. Some of you are going through something tough this week, and you need this verse: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV).
God is close to you, and he understands what you’re going through Turn to him – he’s right there waiting for you
Playtoday’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- What do you need to call on God for today?
- Why does God sometimes feel far away during life’s most difficult struggles?
- What changes do you need to make in your life so that you are not too busy for God?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit rickwarren.org
Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer - 8 CD Boxed Set and Bonus Music CD: FIRST
The Bible says very clearly that you were created for connections. In this new message series, Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer, Rick Warren lays out practical steps for you to connect with God and loved ones by examining the Lord’s Prayer. Christianity is not just a belief system; it’s a belong system. Learn how to connect and live the joyful life you were meant to live.
Right now, we'll send you the new worship CD called, FIRST which features 6 brand new, original worship songs written and performed by Saddleback Worship. These songs will help to encourage you in any season of your life, as you join the call to keep God First.
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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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