Whatever Comes, Whatever Goes
When I'm empty inside
Grasping for life oh God be near me
In peace or in strife
Rest or in the fight oh God be near me…
If my faith begins to waver
And questions go unanswered God be near me
When I run or when I'm weary
If I falter in believing God be near meYou're all I need all I need
Your nearness is my good
Your presence here with me here with me
Whatever comes whatever goes“Be Near To Me” by Davy Flowers
We were set for eternal separation with God because of our sin. Instead of allowing us to fend for ourselves, God stepped in, brought Himself low, and took on the debt we could not pay. He died so that we could live. He loved so that we would have a standard to aspire to. Because of this gospel, we are promised God’s nearness through the power of The Holy Spirit (John 16:6-8), but this gift, produced by sacrifice, is of no use if we forget to call on Him. We need to remember God’s nearness in order to benefit from it.
God is near, regardless of how we perceive things. When we find ourselves in seasons where we do not feel like we are being pursued by God, we must remember that God’s character does not fluctuate with our feelings.
And He’s not just near in certain seasons. God is consistently near. He pursues us, regardless of how we experience it. In addition to the many stories throughout the Bible that illustrate this pursuit, 1 John 4:19 states plainly “We love because he first loved us.” From the beginning in Eden, God's love has pursued us and continues to pursue us.
When you find yourself “grasping for life,” remember that God is chasing after you. When you feel His tangible presence and when you don’t, God is still chasing after you. When your faith feels weak, and your soul feels empty, God continues to chase after you. And He will never stop doing so. His only ask of you in these dark seasons is that you don’t leave Him to do the chasing alone.
Jeremiah 29:13 tells us that we will seek and find God when we seek Him with all of our heart. God never stops pursuing us, but we have to be willing to pursue Him in order to recognize it. We must turn around in order to see the goodness and mercy that has always been following us (Psalm 23:6).
This is the way the gospel has been resonating with me recently. If the world was perfect, and no one ever sinned, but I told that one lie to my grandmother three months ago, Jesus would still have to come, live, and die to save me and commune with me. My effort to be righteous every other day would not be enough. However, because of our Father’s loving and merciful sacrifice, you and I are freed from the punishment we so undeniably deserve, and we have the ability to experience the nearness of God every day. Because of Him, we can trust that when we call on Jesus’ name, He is close. He answers prayers. And He always will. This would not be possible apart from the cross.
When we say, “Be near,” God replies, “I never left.” There is no better news than this. There is no one better than Jesus. And it is so freeing to know that what we need most is what we can always have.
SONG LINKS
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/3tLIO0SMotdcbHEWsKNZFt?si=1b7af8fb32e04459
Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/song/be-near-to-me/1630777622
