“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” (Psalm 73:28 NIV)
Get near God.
My favorite analogy is my parents. Back in their day, cars and trucks had bench seats. Young couples dating would sit side by side, as close as they could. Eventually, after establishing themselves as a couple, they move apart. Mom by her window, Dad by his as he drove. One day, Mom says, “Why don’t you put your arm around me like you did when we were dating?” Dad’s response, “I’m not the one who moved.” He was still sitting in the driver’s seat; she was the one who scooched over into the passenger seat.
God’s still driving.
God hasn’t moved. If you’re feeling disconnected to Him, check your position. Have you moved away from God as you become more familiar with Him? Is life going well right now, so you don’t feel the desperate need to reach out to Him like you once did? Keeping close to God means we have to sit next to Him.
When Jesus taught, He walked in front, His students followed. Remember, during that period, they wore sandals, walking on dusty roads. Following closely means getting Jesus’s dust on you. We have to pursue Jesus. He remains the same; we’re the ones who float in and out. To encounter His dust, we have to get close.
Even today, when something good happens, it’s easy to forget God’s part in it. For me, relationships help me stay close to God. In the flesh, my response isn’t what it is when I bring God into the equation. When I seek His will before my own, life is better. Unfortunately, sometimes I prefer the passenger seat instead of next to Him. And sometimes, I take the wheel and kick Him out of the car completely.
Your relationship with God is dependent on you. How much time you spend chasing Him will determine its depth.
We Are Marshall is a movie. The story is about the college’s football team that perishes in an airplane crash. Recruiting a new coach, the town and school rebuild after the tragedy. Trying to gain special permission to have a team, the coach challenges the administration when told they’ve received no response from football’s governing body. Jack Lengyel, the coach, poses this question to University President Dedmon: “Now, I am going to bet… that you didn’t propose over the phone.” In other words, you need to go in person and talk to the powers that be. The president followed Jack’s advice; he went in person, the season saved.
We can’t phone in a relationship with God. Instead, we have to get close, letting His dust cover us as we draw near.
Question of the Day:
Have you moved away from God today?
Further Reading: Isaiah 62:6-65:25 NIV, Philippians 2:19-3:3 NIV, Psalm 73 NIV, Proverbs 24:13-14 NIV
