Always Near.
"I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20.
How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death!
Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;" so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin to be "with you;" but He says, "I am with you." Yes, even now, though perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His word must be true and is true, and He has said, "I am with you alway." All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you.
How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I will never leave thee." "Never" means really never, not for one moment. You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all through God's great "forever." And "always" means really always, every single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes," because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how blessed!
"O Jesus, make Thyself to me
A living, bright reality!
More present to faith's vision keen
Than any outward object seen;
More dear, more intimately nigh,
Than even the sweetest earthly tie."