Reading the first few verses in Philippians 4. Pretty familiar stuff so I’m pretty quick with the colored pencils to mark it up. Pretty quick with the dark-green colored pencil to highlight a reminder that Jesus is coming soon. But then something (Someone?) causes me to pause and ask myself, “Self, is Paul saying Jesus is at hand, or, that He is at hand?”

Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Philippians with seven, rapid-fire commands-to-obey. Rejoice always and rejoice again are the first two (4:4). Then Paul commands this body of believers to be gentle with everyone (4:5), anxious about nothing (4:6a), and to pray about everything (4:6b–7). He concludes with an exhortation to think about excellent things (4:8) and to put into practice all the things they had “learned and received and heard and seen” in Paul (4:9). And in the midst of this list of divine directives – as apparent fuel for the fire of obedience – is a not to be forgotten truth.

The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5b ESV)

Most other translations render it, The Lord is near. Philips says, “Never forget the nearness of your Lord.” And the NLT and The Message lay their interpretive cards on the table: “Remember, the Lord is coming soon”; “Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!” (I’ll let you guess which is the NLT and which is the MSG).

And, as I read this phrase this morning, I immediately sided with the interpreters, underlining the phrase with my dark-green colored pencil. Jesus is coming soon. He is near. He is at hand.

Fair interpretation. Likely the most common interpretation. But not the only interpretation. For while it could be (and probably should be) read in a temporal sense, that Jesus’ return is closer now than ever before, it could also be read in a proximity sense, that Jesus is as close to me now – He is at hand – as He’s always been. At hand and near to me now because I am in Him.

That’s why I can rejoice always, because I rejoice in the Lord (4:4a). It’s how He promises to guard my heart and mind with a peace that passes all understanding, guarding it in Christ Jesus (4:7b).

In Him. In union with Christ. A branch abiding in the Vine (Jn. 15:5). The divine connection providing the power to do what He commands. The transcendent truth infusing the desire to obey. For just as the Son delights to do the Father’s will, so do I.

The Lord is at hand.

Out there and coming soon and very soon.

In here, through His Spirit, Christ living in me (Gal. 2:20).

At hand and coming soon? Or, at hand and ever present?

Yes!

And amen!

By His grace. For His glory.