So close, yet so far?

The message…

Let God work his will in you. Fight evil (using your full Armor) and watch it run away! Set ‘self’ aside and let God in…let him come close. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your mind and your life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master (the one who exerts authority); it's the only way you'll get back on your feet.
Derived from James 4:7-10

So I considered something yesterday…the thought followed a statement I made: “I feel closer to God now than ever!” Well that’s great and all…but what stood out profoundly in my mind and lingered there all day was this: Does feeling God’s closeness necessarily mean that I am in His will?

When I was younger I can remember the times that I stayed home from school because I was sick with fever, the flu or an injury. I so vividly remember those times…but why? Why did those moments in my life embed themselves in my brain? What I specifically remember is the feeling and emotion that accompanied the situation. I remember the extra TLC that Mom and Dad gave me. You remember those times…

The closeness I felt was so invigorating. I felt warmth, love, affection, security, concern. Mom would consistently check on me, nourish me with special snacks, ensure my absolute comfort, keep me company, offer me her undivided attention….oh, those days were so nice! I felt ‘fed’ emotionally…and that’s a great feeling!

But just because I was incredibly close to Mom in those moments didn’t mean that I was well. She drew so near to me— and me to her—because she knew I was sick. She was trying to make me better and support me through the rough moments of illness. Does God do the same thing?

Of course I believe that we feel a closeness to God—a special bond—when we are following his plans and receiving his blessings; but I would guess we would feel just as close to him during our times of sorrow and pain; during moments of struggle and stray. Maybe He’s drawing near to us in an attempt to grab our attention, speak gravely in our ear and grab us by the shoulders to spin us around and point us in the right direction! “Look—over there—go THAT way!”

The message…
It is impossible to please God without conviction and loyalty to Him and His desires. The person who draws near to Him must also believe that He is there and that He will reward His followers with blessings.
Derived from Hebrews 11:6
Well that sums it up pretty plainly for me! It is IMPOSSIBLE to be pleasing to Him and to receive His blessings if I am outside his will, lacking conviction and faith…but yet “the person who draws near to Him must believe that He is there.” So I can be close to him; but not necessarily fulfilling the rest of this message until I am convicted and ready to drop my own objectives to follow Him, believing with absolute trust that His way will bring me the best outcome. And I would think that if I am “close to God” and not feeling “settled emotionally” then I am probably not quite fulfilling my end of the deal…because His blessings certainly don’t come with turmoil.

Faith requires action—stepping off the cliff because He’s leading us there, regardless of our own desires, questions, or fears. And the rest of James 4 discusses that, too—basically saying that we are so spoiled and arrogant to be willing to fight even God to carry out our own plans. But that’s not faith. That’s not peace. That’s not blessing…although, it may mean closeness. After all, we would have to be darn close to struggle.