Jeremiah 23:23-24 – “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.
Feeling alone
Have you ever felt alone? If you’ve ever gone to middle school, the answer is probably yes. It doesn’t really matter if we have people around us or not, we can still feel alone. We can walk into a room full of people we know and still feel lonely.
Definition of ALONE
1: separated from others : isolated
2: exclusive of anyone or anything else : only <she alone knows why>
3a : considered without reference to any other <the children alone would eat that much>
b : incomparable, unique <alone among their contemporaries in this respect>
When we are alone, we feel separated from others. We feel excluded. We feel like we don’t belong. In the verse above (the ESV says at hand, the NIV says nearby), we see the term at hand. We read that the Lord is at hand or nearby.
Definition of at hand
1: near in time or place : within reach <use whatever ingredients are at hand>
2: currently receiving or deserving attention <the business at hand>
God is within reach
The definition of being “at hand” is being within reach. People often ask where was God when this or that happened. From this scripture, we see that he is within reach. I like to picture God walking beside me, always there for me. Sometimes He picks me up and carries me, other times He allows me to reach out for him. The second part of the definition of “at hand” is “currently receiving or deserving attention”. God is there, are we giving Him the attention He deserves.
What do you keep at hand?
What do you keep closest to you? What do you like to have around you? Is it your home? Your family? Money? Your car? What won’t you leave behind in your home. Do you go back for your phone if you forget it? What must you have at hand? All of these things can be good, but God is “at hand” – deserving your attention. For me it’s important when my day starts to get stressed and I don’t think I’m going to get everything done, to remember to refocus my attention on God. He deserves my attention, and when I get bogged down with everything else, I can lose my direction and my reason for doing things if I’m not careful.
What’s getting your attention?
God is... 