Nehemiah 1

When I was growing up, Bette Midler’s song From a Distance was popular on the radio. Perhaps you remember the last line of the chorus: God is watching us from a distance. I think this is how a lot of people see God—as some sort of distant, unengaged Deity who doesn’t really care about the day-to-day lives of His creatures. He may be up there, and He may be running things, but He certainly doesn’t have time for the "little people."

And I suppose that’s why Scripture so often portrays God differently. Many times, the Bible portrays God as directly involved, very directly involved. The Old Testament is chock full of stories that depict God as not only close, but up close and personal. It pictures Him as an almost in-your-face kinda guy who really cares about the decisions you make and, if necessary, will do all He can to motivate you to make the right ones! At other times, Scripture indirectly portrays God as involved by highlighting the actions and attitudes of one of His ambassadors (in this case, Nehemiah).

This chapter is all about Nehemiah’s response to the state of things in Jerusalem. And it all began with a question: "Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem." (vs 2)

He is so distressed at what he hears that he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed, trying to think of a way to help remedy the sad state of affairs in Jerusalem. And then, right at the end of the chapter, a little kicker: "I was cupbearer to the king." (vs 11)

Wow. Here was a man who had returned from exile and had had great success in his career path. Instead of ending up as a peasant tending to a small plot of land, he was the king’s cupbearer. He lived in the palace and enjoyed the royal life. And that’s why it impressed me so much that he remembered the "little people" in Jerusalem. And not only did he remember them, but he was very emotionally invested in their living conditions. His position in the palace didn’t render him incapable of caring.

I think that’s just what God is like. It is true that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. He has every resource at His disposal. He is King of the Universe; nobody can oppose Him. He is over all and above all. Yet, He has made Himself the lowest of the low. His position doesn’t isolate Him from us. In fact, just the opposite. He uses the advantage of His position for our benefit. He takes the time to be intimately involved in our lives, down to the very smallest detail.

So, with all due respect to Bette Midler, God is indeed watching us, but it’s never from a distance. He who sits on the Heaven’s throne is still nearer to us than our closest friend. His exalted position never gets in the way of His care and concern for us.