‘Come near to God and He will come near to you…’ (James 4:8)
One of the things that we will surely all find most difficult at the moment is not to be able to be close to our extended families, friends and colleagues. All those things that were perhaps part and parcel of our everyday lives; visiting and spending time with loved ones or even just a simple hug, we miss them so much. In the same way many will miss the fellowship of being together in the workplace. Working from home may be fine for a while but it’s just not the same as interacting with others face to face. I know that I desperately miss not being able to visit people, particularly those who are ill or bereaved.
However, there is One who we can be close too at any time of day or night and that is of course God. Many people still think of God as being detached from us, some distant being who is beyond our reach. But the Bible tells us that through His Son God came to live and walk among us, to share in all our everyday experiences and by His Spirit He is still with us here today. We might never be able to fully comprehend this but we don’t have to – all we need to do is believe it. God is all around us and He longs for our fellowship and our love. Day or night we can call on Him and come close to Him, and even in these difficult times, still find that sense of inner peace that only He can offer.
Lord, we confess that we find it difficult to understand that You are so close to us and that You want us to draw close to You. Help us now, we pray, to come to You, to share with You all that we are feeling and facing each day, that in You we may indeed find that sense of peace that only You can give. Amen.