Come Close, Dear Lord

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

Never before in my life has the presence of the Lord been more real, relevant and relished. I want more of Him. The reality is, I already have all of Him. I just need to realize it and live it. Like a good marriage, we are one and becoming one. I've been working on several versions of my life mission statement. My latest version reflects our relationship with God.

"My mission in life is to start a God-given revolution of relationships that leads many people to grow in an intimate relationship with Christ and with one another, so that together we are impacting our world for Christ".

Life is all about our relationship with God. Our relationship with Him determines the course of life, gives it meaning, joy and purpose. There are four verses in chapter fifteen that made this reality jump out at me (8, 9, 26, 28). In these verses the relationship God has with the wicked is contrasted with the relationship God has with the righteous. The Lord keeps watch on them both, but with a greatly different perspective of each.

The Lord detests anything the wicked does, even if it is done in His name (8-9). God even detests the thoughts of the wicked (26). In the end, the Lord is far from the him (29). He is not heard. He is not loved. He is only looked at with disgust. But the righteous, that is another story. The Lord loves the righteous (9). God hears him and is pleased with him (8). His thoughts and words are pleasant to him (8, 26, 29). Best of all, God is near the pure of heart (29).

This relational contrast is beautifully portrayed in James 4:4-10:

4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?[a] 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."[b]

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Enough said!