In a conversation with a dear friend who had recently
finished several months of chemotherapy sessions for lymphoma, she talked about
the deep and intimate closeness to the Lord she experienced while going through
cancer treatment. Her treatment was successful and she is now cancer free.
What she shared reminded me of the very similar way I felt
when my husband and I grieved in 1992 for our baby who only lived on this earth
for two days. I told her I literally felt as though God’s strong arms were tight
around me, comforting me and holding me in the midst of deep pain.
Both of our experiences were the evidence of every Bible verse
on God’s comfort and every verse and teaching that He is always with us and we
are never alone and that His grace is sufficient.
My friend and I agreed that we want that indescribable special
closeness to continue even though we are not in those dark valleys anymore.
As we continued to discuss our thoughts, we both also
admitted that even when life is “normal” we can still have a close and intimate
relationship with the Lord as a result of intentionally pursuing Him and
drawing near. We can experience His magnificent presence any day of the week
when we genuinely seek Him.
It might not be exactly the same as the uniquely powerful
and comforting grace He provides in a valley or trial. Yet, every normal and
ordinary day we still have the humbling honor to draw near and know His
magnificent presence ever near to us.
Let’s not allow another day to pass us by that we don’t
enjoy and appreciate God’s magnificent presence up close and personal in our
lives.
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to
you.
His
is a very near presence that we can know,
And
we genuinely will know when we draw close to Him.
