Thought for Today

Exodus 3:6 He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 33:20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live." . . . 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;

Luke 10:22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands.

I wrote yesterday, “The phrase ‘presence of God’ does appear often in the Bible. My software tells me that it appears between 69-159 times depending on the translation being read. The phrase ‘face of God’ appears between 47-154 times. Implicit in both phrases is the idea of being in close proximity with God.” I’m still thinking about proximity to God this morning.

I have read the suggestion that humans have a deep-seated desire or need to seek and to find the meaning behind things. During the latter decades of the 20th century, we witnessed several movements/fads oriented toward this desire to find the meaning of life and reality. Crystal power, pyramid power, the Age of Aquarius, numerous cults, a wide range of various celebrities seeking to unlock the ‘secrets of the mysterious East, etc. For some reason unexplainable to me, they all found refuge in these ideas, movements and fads more acceptable than “Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The author of that Epistle to the Hebrews was specifically referencing Christianity and the faith in our Creator God. Is it easier or more reasonable to believe that sitting inside a pyramid-shaped enclosure is more powerful than prayers offered to the Creator of Creation?

Those of you who are or were fans of the Beatles may remember their sojourn to India to study under a guru. Whether they found true enlightenment or not, their time in India did affect the music they produced afterward.

I do believe we all want to better understand the world around us; I believe we all seek answers to the seemingly unanswerable questions. I also believe that our ability to fully understand all the mysteries of the universe, all the intricacies of reality itself is limited. I believe some things are just above my paygrade.

As I continue to think about proximity to God, 2 of my favorite hymns come to mind, Just a Closer Walk with Thee and Near to the Heart of God. Both help me express my own desire to be in close proximity to God.

I do seek out that place of quiet rest, of comfort sweet and of full release that can only be found Near to the Heart of God. Like Moses and all of God’s earthly children, I cannot directly see God’s face. In a true sense, however, God has hidden me in the metaphorical sense within the ‘cleft of the rock’ of my faith in Jesus, the Son. The refrain of Near to the Heart of God joyously offers, “O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us, who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God.”

The refrain of Just a Closer Walk with Thee offers the prayer, “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

As a Christian, my faith gives me “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I do not need to directly see the face of God to be  in close proximity to God. I do live close to the heart of God; I do daily walk close to God. I can  proudly proclaim my faith to God and to the world. A faith confessed and declared in the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” (Pilgrim Hymnal, pg. 511)

Be near to the heart of God, walk with Jesus, trust God,

Pastor Ray