Gospel Reflections #1186: God’s doors are equally open to everyone

Psalm 145:18 ‘He is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.’

This verse promises ‘God’s intimacy and reliability’—that God is always right beside us and will always listen to our sincere prayers.

The God revealed in the Bible is a great Being who created the universe, yet at the same time, He is a familiar Presence who is right beside us.

This means that no matter where we are, or whatever loneliness or difficulties we face, we can connect with God instantly through prayer.

God is not standing by as a distant observer; He is always within arm’s reach, ready to hear the cries of our hearts.

In this verse, the phrase ‘all (all who call upon Him)’ is repeated twice.

This is not limited to those with special qualifications or those who are saints or paragons of virtue.

God’s doors are equally open to everyone who needs help and reaches out to Him.

The only condition mentioned for God’s presence is that we call upon Him ‘in truth’.

This means not offering formal prayers or prayers intended to make oneself look good, but rather candidly presenting one’s weaknesses, suffering and genuine emotions as they are.

The Hebrew word for ‘truth’ signifies ‘truth’, ‘trust’ and ‘sincerity’, and is also the root of the word ‘Amen’. In other words, what is required is a heartfelt and sincere attitude of ‘trusting in God wholeheartedly and calling upon Him without doubt’.

This verse 18 leads on to the promise in the following verse 19: ‘The Lord fulfils the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.’

God’s nearness is not merely a matter of His presence; He intervenes in our circumstances to comfort us, strengthen us and deliver us.

There are times in life when we feel that ‘God is silent’, or when we feel as though we are about to be crushed by loneliness or anxiety.

However, this psalm teaches us that ‘God is never hidden far away’.

When we do not keep our problems to ourselves, but simply call out to God, saying ‘Lord’, and express what is in our hearts, we are already standing in the very presence of God.

When we consider it in this way, the problems we experience lead us on the path to calling upon God, and God is always waiting for us beyond those problems.

Every problem we experience is not meant to be resolved and overcome, but rather to help us find the path to God.

Once we have found the path to God, all that remains is to entrust those problems to Him; thus, the problems we experience are not problems in the true sense of the word.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.