Within Arm’s Length

Read Proverbs 21

Come close to God, and God will come close to you.

James 4:8

God isn’t pushy. He waits for us to make the next move. He is always accessible to us, eager and willing to talk. He has already moved as close as his will and plan will allow him to come. Now, it’s our turn. This proverb is an open invitation to get together with God. You need not RSVP. Simply show up and God will be right there.

How close is “close”? Is it within an arm’s length? Ten feet? Twelve inches? There is an implied intimacy that we can share with God in the word “close.” The closeness is not a literal distance, but a special presence of the Lord. It’s in his presence that we put aside our self-focus and train our thoughts to be on him.

If we are drawing near to God, we are naturally leaving something else behind—our pride. Along with our pride, we leave behind our worldly thoughts. God replaces all this with himself. It is in this intimacy that there is freedom to grow in our relationship with him. This is where we get to know the Almighty God.

A WORD FOR TODAY

God responds positively.

Today, Lord, I want to draw near to you so that I can get to know you better. Please draw close to me.