Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Wanting To Be Near
Perhaps you have found yourself longing to feel the closeness of God. You may have many challenges facing your life with work and family. When you look to time’s horizon it may not be completely clear how you will pay those bills, provide for your family, see a loved one healed, or perhaps have people stop speaking evil of you. In those moments it is not uncommon to want to get back to that place where we felt that closeness with God, where His presence was overwhelming, and you just knew everything would be okay. When in the difficult times it may be hard to believe that the closeness was real. What makes us want it so? It seems it was built in to us as the psalmists wrote of that close feeling of being in His presence.
Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psalms 17:6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Here we see that there is a natural expectation to have God as our protector and defender. In fact, we see in Psalms 91 that under God’s wings is a place we will trust, protected by truth. There is another confirmation that for those who want God to keep us under His wing, He is ready and willing to do so. Jesus spoke of this.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Jesus actually told the people of Jerusalem that He wanted to keep them under His wings, but they did not want it. The difference for us as believers is we have already declared that we want Him in us and in our lives. We can have God as our protection and defense.
Today, if you have what seems like too much on your plate, call out to God to be under His wings and renew again that closeness of His presence.
Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You alone are King. We ask that You bring Your kingdom to earth. Let us be in Your kingdom, Father, in the shadow of Your wing. Keep us safe from harm. Let us know the warmth of Your love and mercy. Forgive us. Send today Your healing, deliverance, and provision enough that it overflows into our communities that each of us might help ten others. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.