Psalm 73:28

Psalms 73:28 (ESV)

[28] But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,

that I may tell of all your works.

“It is good to be near God.” But what does that look like? What does it mean to be near God and how do you go about doing that? Part of the answer to that question seems obvious, but part of it may surprise you. We are near God when we read and reflect on his Word. The Bible is the voice of God to us. It is there that we hear him speak. “All scripture is God-breathed” (2Tim. 3:16). To be near God requires that we are reading and reflecting on his Word.

Secondly, James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” We draw near to God through confession and repentance. To confess our sin is to agree with God that what we have done is in fact sin. To repent means to change one’s mind, and turn from one thing to another. In this case it is to turn from trusting self to trusting God, from sin to faith. It is through confession and repentance that we draw near to god.

Third, we are invited to “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). This is an invitation to talk with God in his very presence. In prayer the Holy Spirit helps our weakness by translating our prayer into the will of God (Rom. 8:26-27). Jesus intercedes for us as we pray (Rom. 8:34). At Jesus death the veil that separated us from God was torn in two (Mt. 27:51) allowing us direct access to God. We draw near to God in prayer.

Fourth, we are near to God through the indwelling Holy Spirit who takes up residence in every believer. No matter where we go, there is God. He is there because he is everywhere-present. We call that omnipresence. But he is also there because as believers the Spirit of God is dwelling in us. He has promised to never leave, and we cannot get out from around him. We draw near to God by simply remembering that where we are, there is God.

Fifth, we draw near to God through attending church and through Christian fellowship. 1 Peter 2:5 says that we, “like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.” Ephesians 2:20-22 builds on this idea by saying that we are,

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

We tend to talk about being a Christian as a personal relationship with God, and so it is. But it is also a corporate relationship with God’s people. Many have said that they worship best alone out in nature. I understand that. I have the same experience. But it is also true that we draw near to God by drawing near to his people. If together we are the temple of God, then connecting with God’s people is a way of drawing near to him. Therefore, let us take seriously the words of Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” The Psalmist wrote, “For me it is good to be near God.” May that be true of us as well.