"The nearer we come to God, the more graciously will He reveal Himself to us. When the prodigal comes to his father, his father runs to meet him. When the wandering dove returns to the ark, Noah puts out his hand to pull her in unto him, When the tender wife seeks her husband's society, he comes to her on wings of love. Come then, dear friend, let us draw nigh to God who so graciously awaits us, yea, comes to meet us." (Charles Spurgeon, Daily Devotions)
Chu Chu is our cat. He is the typical "Morris" or "Garfield" look-a-like. Chu Chu, like most male tabby cats, loves getting close. Within seconds of our coming home he greets us and within minutes he is sitting on one of our laps. He loves being petted and combed, of course, but he prefers to just nudge up to one of us or to sit on one of our laps ... for hours at a time ... and I like it when he does.
I believe God likes it when we just want to get close to him. Relationally, Chu Chu and I are not on the same level. Even though I talk to him all the time I know he doesn't understand a word I'm saying. But, amazingly, although God is on a far different level than us, we can have a relationship with him. We can communicate. So I'm convinced he loves it when we make the effort to get close to him.
I used to be afraid to draw near to God thinking he couldn't possibly relate to me or care about me or want to hear from me especially since I'm "just" a sinful human being. But I've learned this is not the case at all. He is still God and I am still me but after all he went through to make a relationship with me (and you) possible, who am I to think that I don't matter to God.
"Come near to God and he will come near to you," we read in James 4:8a. God knows our nature and our limitations and our sinfulness and our "whatevers," which makes it all the more exciting to realize that he just wants us to nudge up to him and sit in his lap so he can care for us and show us his love for us. He extends an open invitation to us all to "come near" hoping we will.
I'm reminded of a preaching professor speaking on this subject once. He used to play a game with his two daughters. He would always have pennies in his pockets so when he came home they would great him with great enthusiasm trying find those pennies in his pockets. They loved the game and he loved their attention. The pennies were nothing of value to him. What was priceless was his two giggling daughters climbing all over him. He loved it!
Years later he received a Father's Day card from one of his now adult daughters expressing her appreciation to him for the love that she knew he had for them; how he always took the time to just be with them.
When was the last time you took your Father up on his offer? It's OK to come to him for the things we deem to be valuable but remember that he is much more interested in just getting close to you and you're getting close to him ... just the way you are.
