In this sermon, we continue our spring teaching series personal GOD and turn our attention to a personal GOD who is NEAR US. It is consistent teaching throughout the written Word of God that HE is always near HIS children. Scriptures like Joshua 1:9 (ESV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” and Psalm 119:151 (ESV) “You are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true.” These verses give our hearts courage and hope, but so often our “feelings” send us a different message. In moments of honest disclosure most of us confess that there are times our journey with GOD feels more like an episode from “Where’s Waldo”. Our hearts struggle with thoughts like: “If God is always with us, why is HE so hard to find?”, “If the LORD says HIS sheep know HIS voice, why doesn’t HE talk to me?”

The TRUTH is that just like in a “Where’s Waldo” book where Waldo appears on every page but to the untrained eye is difficult to recognize amidst the business and clutter of the pictures, so it is with GOD amidst the business and clutter of our lives. We must train ourselves to recognize the GOD WHO IS NEAR US. We explore those life rhythms.