Has there ever been a time in your life when you were certain that you were seeking out God as passionately as you could, but yet didn’t feel the closeness with Him you thought would come as a result? Has there ever been a moment when you feel like you’ve exhausted all your possibilities and you want to shout, “God, where are you?” I know I’ve been there, especially in times of worry when my only focus became “God, I need _____ from You” instead of “God, I’ll do ______ for You.”
When I think about those times, I sometimes imagine that if I were in God’s shoes, I’d get pretty tired of hearing about what Nate needs and what Nate wants. And it reminds me that although God loves to be there for us when we do really need him, close relationships are not one-sided. They are the outcome of TWO people pouring all they can into doing what pleases the other. When we are obedient to God, we show his love to those around us. This is how the Bible says we can be truly in communion with him.
1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us and his love is truly in our hearts” (CEV).
When we remember that God is not a possession of ours, or merely a problem-solver or consoler in a time of need, we find true closeness with Him. James 4:8a speaks this truth simply and beautifully, “Come close to God and He will come close to you” (Amplified Bible). Won’t you take the time today to come close to God. Would you respond to the love He’s shown you?
Be a witness,
Nate