“God is here. The whole universe is alive with His life. And He is no strange or foreign God, but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of men.”
A.W. Tozer
There is a heavenly nearness in which we dwell.
I tumbled upon a random gem of a conversation in our West African market a couple weeks ago. Hidden in a colorful booth, tucked away in the bustling and lively rush of sellers and buyers, a young lady asked me what it means to be Christian. Eagerly, I shared my understanding of the gospel with her, and she smiled sweetly. “I am Christian too,” she said.
Of course, in my grief over my Muslim friends’ lack of salvation, I was overjoyed to hear of this sweet girl’s belief in Christ! When I asked her to share her thoughts on what it is to be Christian, she shared her testimony of hopelessness to eternal joy. Near the ending she smiled and said, “I used to hate to be alone. But now I could sit in solitude for hours. I never tire of talking with Jesus. He is very precious to me…and He is very near.”
Her words have lingered in my heart as the Holy Spirit has continued whispering His nearness to my soul. We are so easy to think God is far off, aren’t we? It is only in our foolish wanderings that we find ourselves far away. And yet, He is still near; waiting for our longing hearts to cry out for the closeness of His presence.
We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.
– C.S. Lewis
A little over a year ago I wrote the following to a dear friend of mine:
“I was watching the sunset last night and couldn’t help feeling like all the cars passing by were missing out on something priceless. Everyone was busy going somewhere, doing something, and it was as if God was crying in love…faithfully wisping the golden-hued clouds across the sky, quietly whispering, “I love you. I paint this masterpiece in the sky every day just for you… [just to reveal my glory]. Just to make you smile.” […] And no one notices.”
Do you have eyes to see? Do you have ears to hear? Sometimes I struggle to.
In Matthew 13:13 Jesus told His disciples,
I speak to [the pharisees] in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Just as Jesus was willing to reveal the secrets of the kingdom to the lowly souls of men, the Holy Spirit is eager and ready to fill our hearts with the knowledge of Him. But we must still our spirits long enough to listen…calm our thoughts long enough to see.
His presence is a burning light which leads the Dawn. His nearness is a passionate voice which blazes in the souls of those He loves. Do not settle in your search for Him. He is near. You need only want Him.
As C.S. Lewis said, “The world is crowded with Him.” Open your eyes; will your ears to hear. God will not readily reveal His pearls – these sacred kingdom truths – to hardened hearts. God is never far from us. But our foolish eyes lose sight of His nearness. And, in our folly, we are blinded to His presence in all the mysteries of the earth.
Pray for a child’s heart. Pray for a soul of seeking and wonder. And run into the winds of heaven’s mystery and unknown…resting in the promise of His nearness. He has promised that those who have eyes to see will see; those who have ears to hear will hear.
This is the nearness in which we dwell.
Should Our Souls Still Enough to Whisper
Our loving Lord is not just present, but nearer than the thought can imagine – so near that a whisper can reach Him.
– Amy Carmichael
God is near to us, indeed.
Are we near to Him?
Our human ways are so simple and repeatedly broken. We know the way to Light and yet we content ourselves with the knowledge of it rather than the nearness of it. What folly! Knowledge of God is not enough to experience Him the way He intends for us to. He wants us to embrace His nearness.
The way to nearness is simple.
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
– Psalm 145:18
You would think humanity was appalled by simplicity for the lack of effort we put into the simple way of drawing near to Christ. But, of course, the struggle lies in letting go of self. For to draw near to Him we must be ready to call Him “Master.” And to call Him “Master” we must be ready to surrender all. Therein lies the human difficulty.
All paths endure difficulty, however…only one leads to eternal victory. And the nearer we draw to Him, the more deeply we will sense this calling of a brighter Homeland. The longer we stay in His embrace, the louder the anthem of Heaven will ring in our souls as we endure this earthly battle.
Is the world’s eternal longing for empty satisfaction better than the Christian’s temporary struggle for eternal glory? I think His nearness far better, certainly.
So, are you feeling far away? He is already near! Even a whisper may reach Him! We are only unaware of His nearness because our gaze is held so inwardly.
Pray for a quiet heart. Pray for a longing that stills your soul enough to whisper. He has promised He will hear those who call on Him…even those who whisper.
This is the nearness in which we dwell.
The Knowledge that Begs Daily Conviction
We are always in the presence of God. There is never a non-sacred moment! His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of His presence never changes.
– Max Lucado
If you feel God is far off, it is not because He is no longer near to you. It is simply because you are no longer aware of Him. And why does He not make Himself clear to you? He has!
His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world.
– Romans 1:20
Just as in the Garden of Eden, where freewill brought mankind to shame through their own weakness, our freewill delights in attracting us to fleeting pleasures and distracting us from holy nearness.
This knowledge of nearness is futile should our souls never feast on the beauty of it all.
Does God feel far off to you?
When was the last time you prayed? Not a prayer of requirement or planning, but a prayer of stillness? A prayer of seeking?
Are you often in His word, memorizing His precious truths? Are you speaking into the darkness with the news of His kingdom?
For how do you expect to have un-prayed prayers answered? Or how do you expect to hear Him teaching you when you are not in His textbook? Or how do you expect to see the power of His name revealed if you are unwilling to speak it?
Do not be fooled, God does not need us to do these things.
But then, remember…God does not need us.
We need Him.
And He is near. But we must answer. We must seek. We must open the eyes of our hearts and still the rushing chatter of our souls. This knowledge must be feasted upon in gladness…not looked upon in idleness.
Be near to Him! Take time to be holy. Take time to be close. Prioritize His presence in your life. He has promised His faithfulness in the revealing of Himself.
This is the nearness in which we dwell.
The Nearness in Which We Dwell
One of my favorite passages is found in Acts 17. Paul travels to the city of Athens and finds an altar to “the unknown god” (vs. 23). In the conviction of his heart Paul speaks to these lost souls with these beautiful words…
[God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for
“In Him we live and move and have our being,’
As even some of your own poets have said,
“For we are indeed His offspring.’”
– Acts 17:26-27
My Muslim friends say Allah is the god of mankind, but not near to mankind. My agnostic friends say that the individual must find in themselves the nearness they crave. And yet, the enriched Christain may proclaim in hopeful expectation, “God is actually not far from each one of us.”
How overwhelmingly awe-filled. The Creator God is near. He is not far from each of us. In Him we live and move and have our being. We are the offspring of a holy God.
This is the nearness in which we dwell.
And will we choose this nearness forever?
Will we eternally bask in the light of it?
There are two kingdoms at war. One calls us upward…one calls us inward. But only one promises the nearness of a lasting, eternal embrace.
Will you dwell in nearness?
Every man must choose his world.
– A.W. Tozer
By Rue Arrow
Rue Arrow is soul-pondering, rain-dancing, dawn-seeking child of the Father with deep feeling and intrigue for both the blessings and the brokenness in this messy thing called life. Her desire is simply to honor Jesus, "counting everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:8). You can further journey with her in this endless pursuit of God's heart through her blog: This Messy Thing Called Life.
Beautiful post, Rue! It reminds me of the verse in James that says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Thank you for this beautiful reminder 💙
Thank you for these words!!
I always enjoy your posts, Rue! Thank you so much for sharing them- they’re beautiful. (:
Thank you so much rue☺️
Beautiful post, Rue! It reminds me of the verse in James that says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Thank you for this beautiful reminder 💙