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God's Presence Is All I Need!

In last week’s post, I mentioned that sometimes there is richness in words in the Scriptures even when it appears that a passage is translated differently in various versions of the Bible.

The passage I referenced last week was Isaiah 57:15.  This week I want to look at Psalm 73:28 as another example:

But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”  (ESV)

But take a look at how it reads in the NASB:

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works. 

So is it good for me to be near God or is it the nearness of God that is my good? 

Without a doubt, it is good when I am near God!  That nearness is probably an indicator that I sought Him and drew near to Him.

Also, without a doubt, the nearness of God is my good!  That nearness is a certain indicator that He has always been near me and has never left me.

So, you could quite successfully argue that both are good.  You could also successfully argue that both are true.  And maybe you could argue that they basically mean the same.

I’m not sure if all that was in the thinking of the translators of the New English Translation (NET), but this is how they chose to word it:

But as for me, God’s presence is all I need.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, as I declare all the things you have done.

That wording doesn’t differentiate whether I am near God or He is near me but it focuses on God’s presence.  Furthermore, the NET version indicates that God’s presence is all that I need.   

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, said this about the presence of God:  You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.  (Ps 16:11)

Being in the presence of God is not only all that I need but being in His presence is also the only place where I can experience fullness of joy.  And you know what?  There should be no place I'd rather be!

 

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