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The clock ticked on. Every minute felt like an hour. I had already spent a week in the ICU with a beloved family member, and the news was grim.

“Jesus! I need You!”

I repeated those words often. They were on my lips and in my heart and mind.

“I need You, oh, I need You. Every hour I need You.”

I was surrounded by the commotion of doctors and nurses and the noise of machines and medical devices. It was 2 in the morning, and as people flooded in and out of the room, I felt alone.

It’s a strange feeling to stand in a place surrounded by people yet feel all alone.

But I wasn’t.

The truth is that I have never been alone.

Over the years, there have been other times in my life when I felt alone.

No one understands.

No one is concerned with this trial you’re facing.

There is no one to help you.

God could have prevented this, but He doesn’t care.

These are lies the enemy loves to whisper in the still of the night.

I recall years ago being alone with these dark thoughts when the light of the Lord’s truth filled the room. Life was heavy, and I couldn’t sleep, so I crept into the living room with my Bible in hand.

“Lord, are You near? I need You.”

It was then that my eyes turned to His words:

“Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:23–24).

God gently reminded me that night that He is near. He will always be near and will never forsake His children.

Have you ever felt alone?

Let me encourage you not to let the enemy, this world, or your own mind deceive you. God is at hand. He is not far away. He fills heaven and earth.

In the same way that a small child scared of the dark will draw near to her father, we too can draw near. And in the same way that a loving father wraps his arms around his child in assurance, safety, protection, and love, God does the same for His children.

We are encouraged in the Word to “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

In our sorrows, questions, and pain, He is near.

When we cry out because there is nothing left to do, He is near.

When we need strength to make it through the next few minutes, He is near.

When we seek peace that passes all understanding, He is near.

When we desperately need godly wisdom to navigate a world that is crumbling, He is near.

It is a great truth and comfort to know that our omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent God is near in all places and at all times.

I have known this truth for many years, but a few weeks ago, on that long, lonely night, I felt the truth deep within. Even though my mind and heart were numb, my soul sang out the truths of God and His faithfulness.

He is near.

And I knew with everything within me that Jesus heard my prayer that night.

The psalmist declares that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). I felt His presence and love.

And now, standing on the other side of that prayer, I am praising Him for answering with mercy, grace, and the power of His healing hand.

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