At Your Fingertips
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
08/02/2021
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:23–24)
I was sitting in my study at home recently when a thought occurred to me. It was not a particularly profound thought. (They rarely are.) Nor was it complicated. It was just one of those thoughts that pop into your head for no apparent reason. As I leaned back in my chair and glanced at my computer, I thought to myself, “Everything I could ever need for studying God’s Word is right here at my fingertips.” It is amazing how far we have come in the area of Bible study. In the past, Bible students were fortunate if they had more than one version of the Bible and a printed copy of Matthew Henry’s Commentary. These days we have books, journals, magazines, dozens of English Bible versions, Greek and Hebrew language tools, dictionaries, encyclopedias, word study books, atlases, and various other resources all available on our computers.
Nevertheless, despite the convenience and availability of these resources, it seems that we are drifting further and further away from God. How ironic! In a way, God is nearer than He has ever been, but mankind has drifted further away than ever before. In the sixth century BC, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:23-24)
The prophet Jeremiah faced a similar circumstance in his generation. The people of Judah had more prophets than ever. The problem was most of the prophets were charlatans who did not tell the truth. Despite the abundance of people claiming to speak for the Lord, the nation found itself severely backslidden. What God’s people often forget is that God’s presence does not depend on the empty words of false prophets, nor does it depend on our fancy computer programs. God’s presence is constant.
If there is distance between us and God, it is not God who has moved. It is us. God is always at our fingertips. He is a ready resource waiting to help us and lead us wherever life may take us. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness in His Word (2 Peter 1:3). We are never left unprepared. His Spirit dwells within us at all times and He is never far off (John 14:16).
We may not have all the answers. We may not be able to solve the most complex theological riddles on the spot. We may not be able to answer all the “whys” that crop up daily. But one thing is for sure, with God we have all we need right at our fingertips.
There is an incredible comfort in knowing that God is with us every second of every minute of every hour. There is no place hidden from God’s sight. There are no secret hiding places. He is here, always and forever. If only we could come to appreciate His daily presence the way we do all the other modern conveniences in life.
08/02/2021
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:23–24)
I was sitting in my study at home recently when a thought occurred to me. It was not a particularly profound thought. (They rarely are.) Nor was it complicated. It was just one of those thoughts that pop into your head for no apparent reason. As I leaned back in my chair and glanced at my computer, I thought to myself, “Everything I could ever need for studying God’s Word is right here at my fingertips.” It is amazing how far we have come in the area of Bible study. In the past, Bible students were fortunate if they had more than one version of the Bible and a printed copy of Matthew Henry’s Commentary. These days we have books, journals, magazines, dozens of English Bible versions, Greek and Hebrew language tools, dictionaries, encyclopedias, word study books, atlases, and various other resources all available on our computers.
Nevertheless, despite the convenience and availability of these resources, it seems that we are drifting further and further away from God. How ironic! In a way, God is nearer than He has ever been, but mankind has drifted further away than ever before. In the sixth century BC, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:23-24)
The prophet Jeremiah faced a similar circumstance in his generation. The people of Judah had more prophets than ever. The problem was most of the prophets were charlatans who did not tell the truth. Despite the abundance of people claiming to speak for the Lord, the nation found itself severely backslidden. What God’s people often forget is that God’s presence does not depend on the empty words of false prophets, nor does it depend on our fancy computer programs. God’s presence is constant.
If there is distance between us and God, it is not God who has moved. It is us. God is always at our fingertips. He is a ready resource waiting to help us and lead us wherever life may take us. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness in His Word (2 Peter 1:3). We are never left unprepared. His Spirit dwells within us at all times and He is never far off (John 14:16).
We may not have all the answers. We may not be able to solve the most complex theological riddles on the spot. We may not be able to answer all the “whys” that crop up daily. But one thing is for sure, with God we have all we need right at our fingertips.
There is an incredible comfort in knowing that God is with us every second of every minute of every hour. There is no place hidden from God’s sight. There are no secret hiding places. He is here, always and forever. If only we could come to appreciate His daily presence the way we do all the other modern conveniences in life.
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