We are of such value to God that he came to live among us … and to guide us home. He will go to any length to seek us, even to being lifted high upon the cross to draw us back to Himself. We can only respond by loving God for his love.
Catherine of Sienna.
What does it mean for God to draw near? We are taught from even pre-Christianhood that God is everywhere, to be called upon in all and every situation. And yet evidence dictates that, no matter the length of our Christian journey, there are times when God at least feels far away. Why is that? A glib answer bandied about when I was a teenager was, ‘well guess who moved?’ And yes, it can be argued that, when times are tough and we feel God has let us down, we do tend to move away, turn our backs on Him for a while as we attempt – in our own strength – to solve, cope with or adapt to whatever crisis situation we’re facing.
But my experience – my head and heart knowledge – tells me that shutting God out at just such a crisis point is the very worst thing we can do.
Through good times and ill, our Heavenly Father longs to be just that – a father.
His desire is to love, nurture, protect, fight for each of us* is what sent Jesus to the cross on our behalf, the love shared by Father, Son & Holy Spirit and extended willingly, lovingly to all of humanity. And it’s exactly what we need when things aren’t going according to plan.
God is always near, but it’s only when we sense & value his proximity that we feel him close.
The Psalmist David wrote of such things in Psalm 16:
You are my Lord. Without you, I have nothing good. [v2GW]
Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. [v5NLT]
I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. [v8NKJV]
We can go things alone, but when we allow – permit, encourage, desire – God to be in the very centre of the happiness we encounter and the loss, pain & loneliness we experience, then life is better – life is more enjoyable and more endurable when the Lord is nearby.
Life is more enjoyable and more endurable when we allow God to draw near to us.
So let me end with these words by songwriter Gloria Gaither, as a prayer for you today:
When you are lonely, I wish you love; When you are down, I wish you joy; When you are troubled, I wish you peace; When things are complicated I wish you simple beauty; When things are chaotic I wish you inner silence; When things seem empty I wish you hope;
And the sweet sense of God’s presence every passing day.
*All the attributes of a good earthly father, but also shepherd, if the father analogy doesn’t work for you, see Ezekiel 34:11-16.