Draw Near to God

There’s an old story about a farm couple who were driving along in their pickup truck. The woman leans over and says to her husband, “How come we never sit all snuggled up in the truck like we used to?” The man looks over at her and replies, “Well honey, I sure ain’t the one that’s moved!”

When we find ourselves feeling distant from God, it’s important to remember God’s not the one who has moved. God is as near to us as our next breath. And as the scriptures remind us, God’s steadfast love and mercy never cease. They are new every morning!

There was a young woman with small children in a Sunday school class I once taught who shared with us that she would hide in her closet early in the mornings just to have ten minutes of prayer time.  Hopefully you don’t have to go to that extreme, but I do hope you will be intentional about finding time to sit quietly in God’s presence. Even if it is only a few minutes, meditate quietly on a psalm, sit in silence, or share what’s on your heart with God. And as you do, notice God’s presence and God’s peace.

Our prayer today is attributed to Saint Benedict from the early 6th century. Let us pray: O gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you; eyes to behold you; ears to listen for your word; a heart to love you; and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.