Nearness to God and Protection in the Beloved

Nearness to God and Protection in the Beloved

You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.

Genesis 45:10–11

In the Old Testament story of Joseph, after Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he tells them to return to their father and to tell him, “...come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.” (Gen. 45:9–10). The name “Goshen” means “drawing near.” God wants you to be in “Goshen,” which is a place of nearness to Him, and there is no place nearer to Him than being in the Beloved (see Eph. 1:6). God’s heart of love is not satisfied with just removing your sins from you. No, He wants more. He wants you in His presence. He wants you in the place where He can lavish the bountiful love in His heart on you!

When you draw near to Jesus, you enjoy divine protection. In recent years, new strains of deadly viruses have been making headlines. But whatever the virus may be, you can declare, “A thousand may fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come near me, God’s beloved!” (see Ps. 91:7).

When there were plagues and pestilences all over Egypt because Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go, look at what God said about the children of Israel: “...I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people...” (Exod. 8:22–23). There is a difference between God’s beloved people and the people of the world. Although Egypt was plagued by swarms of flies and other pestilences, the children of Israel were safe in the land of Goshen, completely untouched by the troubles!

So even if there are bad things happening in the world today, remember that as God’s beloved child, you are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:11, 16). No plague, no evil and no danger can come close to you and your dwelling place because you are safe in the secret place of the Most High. As the children of Israel were kept safe and protected in Goshen, so will you and I, whom God calls His beloved!