Day 5: In the Heavens: Far and Near

Yesterday we focused on God's transcendence; the fact that He is Most High and distinct from His creation. But I think we left off right at the very best part; the fact that His far-ness is what enables His near-ness.

It is the fact that God is so Holy, so other and so distinct from creation itself, that He is able to draw near to it in the first place. I know, that's a lot of theology to chew through. Just see the beauty in this: God is not driven by need, fear or loneliness to draw near to you, rather it is due to His self-sufficiency, pure holiness and other-kind-of-love that He desires and is able to be intimately near to you.*

It is this exact nature that Paul compellingly offers the Athenians in Acts 17, this far off "God who made the world and everything in it..." what an important and magnificent being, and yet "he is not far from any of us.”  What a thought! This mighty and Holy God, needing nothing from us, happily stoops to be near to us, as Paul says, even ordains the boundaries and times of our lives so that we might look for Him, reach out and try to feel our way towards Him...that we might find Him.  Doesn't it feel like if there was ever a time to seek God it's now during these strange days of 2020? And can you relate to prayer as "trying to feel your way towards Him?" Stand in the assurance today that He will be found by you. He is not far from each one of us!

That right there is the whole story of the Bible in a nutshell. God working through time and space to draw near to His people, to live with them. He does this first in a garden, then in the tabernacle in the wilderness. He meets them in Solomon's temple, then in the flesh as He walks the earth. He leaves His friends bewildered as He returns to the righthand of the Father but His presence comes again to dwell by His own Spirit this time breathed into His people. And yet...the book of Revelation tells us that the best is still to come. One day God will live fully and visibly with us and it will be beautiful. Just read Rev. 21:3 to get excited about that.

And in the meantime? Well, in a very real sense we are invited into a taste of that intimacy, that abiding presence through the Holy Spirit- His own Spirit given to breathe the resurrection life into our brokenness. The Holy Spirit is how Jesus can be near to us even now.

That my friends is the essence of what it means to follow Jesus, to live life with Him. We get a bit off-track and think being a Christian has to do with having the right stuff; political views, behaviour, or mission. But the main thing is what the main thing has always been. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; have real relationship and spend actual time with Him, and then live out of that love. It will form and renew you. And it'll likely have some affect on your neighbour too.

Today, we'll read the account of Paul declaring the transcendent and immanent God to the Athenians in Acts 17:22-29. You can find the full chapter here. Take note of everything Paul says about God being far, and then what he says about God being near. Use two colours or make two lists, there's no secret formula, just absorb and be formed by this declaration of your Father in Heaven. Then try to identify what Paul says about mistaken ways people view God.

Finally, let's pray out of what we have seen and heard in the passage:

        Our Father in Heaven

Ask God to reveal to you any ways you have erred in your thinking of Him as far and/or near. Declare the ways He is far. Talk to Him as Most High, all seeing, all encompassing. Then declare the ways you have known Him to be near. Focus on His nearness and thank Him that He longs to be known. Ask Him to help you reach out and find Him, to be near to you in your circumstances today.

        Hallowed be your name.

        Your kingdom come.

        Give us each day our daily bread,

        And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

        And lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:1-4 ESV)

Amen. See you Monday friends!

*Again I'm indebted to the work of The Presence of God by J. Ryan Lister who spoon feeds slowly and gives me time to chew.