Jeremiah 23:23
“Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?”
The sins of Israel finally came back to get them. God reminded Israel and Judah that He was “not a God afar off.” The sins they committed were done because, in their mind, God was not near. In their mind, they thought God was distant from them and was not truly involved in their lives. That thinking process led them to commit sin and think they could get away with it. God reminded them that He knew their sins because He was a “God at hand.”
Christian, let me remind you that God is an omnipresent God. He is everywhere all the time. There is no place where you can go that God is not there. This can be comforting and convicting at the same time. It is convicting if you are committing sin, but it is comforting if you immediately need God. God shows us that He is a “God at hand” by showing us four things He saw about the prophets of Israel.
First, He is a God Who sees. God asks a question in verse 24, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” You can try to hide yourself and your sins from God, but He is there to see what you are doing. Don’t think you can get away with your sin. God knows what you are doing, at the moment you are doing it. On the other hand, God also sees what others are doing to you. When you think no one knows what others have done to you, always remember that God is a God Who sees all. He knows what others have done to you and will reward them for their deeds.
Second, He is a God Who hears. God says in verse 25, “I have heard what the prophets said,…” God hears when you do wrong, and He hears when you do right. He knows when you are dishonest, and He also knows when others are dishonest with you. You can be thankful that God hears, for in your time of distress, you can call out to Him and be confident that He hears your plea.
Third, He is a God Who knows. The false prophets said in verse 25, “…I have dreamed, I have dreamed.” They thought they could deceive all, but they couldn’t deceive God for He knows all. He knew that their dreams were lies. He knew what they were saying was wrong. You must understand that God knows your thoughts. When your thoughts are wrong, He knows them and will reward you for them. On the other hand, when you are falsely accused, God knows your innocent actions. People may judge your motives, but you can be thankful that God knows all and He knows your intentions. You can rest assured that if your intentions were honest, that He will reward you for doing right.
Finally, He is a God Who is near. When you look at the verse above, you see that God is “at hand.” What does that mean? It means He is in arms reach to help you when you need Him. Oh, the comfort you can receive from the fact that He is near to help you in your time of need. God is not aloof and uninterested. He is interested in your life.
Christian, always understand that God is a God at hand. If you do wrong, you may be able to hide it from others, but you can’t hide it from Him. If you do right, you can be assured God will reward you when others do not see your right actions. The best thing you can always remember is that God is always near. If you keep that in mind, it will help you throughout life.