Nearness
"Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. But those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do." Psalm 73:25-28
Not too long ago, I had the privilege of sharing a cup of coffee and some riveting conversation with one of our WWII heroes. As a Marine, he fought in the Pacific theater from one island to the other in brutal, close contact, jungle warfare. In one fight, his position was being overrun with all, except him, being killed. He stood firing his machine gun into the charging enemy waiting for his turn to die. At the very last moment, he was rescued by another nearby unit who had flanked the charging enemy and killed them before their bullets or their bayonets found their mark. He shared another gut-wrenching story of a friend who died in his arms. It reminded me of one of those movie scenes where the one dying pleads to not be left alone. In those moments, nearness means everything.
Asaph, who wrote the verses above, celebrated the incredible reality that God was near him. He was his shelter and the strength of his heart. Asaph recognized that he was living in a dying body and surrounded by a spirit sapping world. Even still, since God was both in heaven and near him, the only right response was to let everyone else know -- God is near and He is awesome.
It's unfortunate that so many of us, particularly us men, carry such an aversion to nearness. Walls, masks, and images cannot strengthen the soul. It is true that allowing God or others near us is unsettling, but the days are coming and are already upon us where the battles rage. In those moments, nearness means everything.
Grace and Peace,
Tom
Not too long ago, I had the privilege of sharing a cup of coffee and some riveting conversation with one of our WWII heroes. As a Marine, he fought in the Pacific theater from one island to the other in brutal, close contact, jungle warfare. In one fight, his position was being overrun with all, except him, being killed. He stood firing his machine gun into the charging enemy waiting for his turn to die. At the very last moment, he was rescued by another nearby unit who had flanked the charging enemy and killed them before their bullets or their bayonets found their mark. He shared another gut-wrenching story of a friend who died in his arms. It reminded me of one of those movie scenes where the one dying pleads to not be left alone. In those moments, nearness means everything.
Asaph, who wrote the verses above, celebrated the incredible reality that God was near him. He was his shelter and the strength of his heart. Asaph recognized that he was living in a dying body and surrounded by a spirit sapping world. Even still, since God was both in heaven and near him, the only right response was to let everyone else know -- God is near and He is awesome.
It's unfortunate that so many of us, particularly us men, carry such an aversion to nearness. Walls, masks, and images cannot strengthen the soul. It is true that allowing God or others near us is unsettling, but the days are coming and are already upon us where the battles rage. In those moments, nearness means everything.
Grace and Peace,
Tom
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