All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

"How do I get closer to God?"

How do I Get Closer to God? [Do You Want More? #3]

Listen to this p odcast here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/24b780c7/how-do-i-grow-...

As soon as I saw her, I knew.

Sure, it had been almost a year since I last spoke in the beautiful old church in Rowley, not many miles outside of Boston. But as soon as I saw her, I knew – she had grown closer to Jesus. It settled on her person beautifully, showed on her countenance.

After sharing about visiting the Land in the worship service, inviting the folks to travel with me to Israel in February, I sat down to lunch with her and my friend, Patti, at a waterfront restaurant in Newburyport. How I love being near the ocean - the sights, the sounds and even the smell!

Nan had a lot of questions about Israel. Interestingly, she asked ‘Why do you want to go back again?’ For me, there is nothing in the world like opening my Bible and then teaching the Word in the land where Jesus was born and lived, where Elijah and David and my beloved Paul walked. Seeing the lights come into the eyes, the knowingness settle on the faces of years-long believers and even a 22-year-old man who wanted to know if it was all true, if the Bible was true. When he saw it for himself, when he experienced it . . . he knew. He knew it was true.

Once you know, it is yours for life.

‘I hope you don’t mind if I have a lot of questions,’ Nan proffered. ‘Oh no – ask me anything,’ I assured her. And. So. She. Did.

‘How do I get more? How do I get closer to God?’ Maybe my favorite question--this is the reason Jesus came!

We tend to make it difficult as we allow ourselves to be busied with one thing and then another, all throughout each day. But her question gets at the very essence of life – a vital relationship with God.

There is no relationship without connection. I am a gardener and my roses, my tomatoes, my herbs all illustrate that there is no growth without life. Jesus: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15.5

To help maintain my connection to God, I sit down with him first thing in the morning – to talk with him and to read His words to me. While there is no one right way to pray, I have found a way that guards against distraction; perhaps you would like to try it. [picture] I use that or a similar mode every single day.

Nan, Zane, Mike, Madhava, there is no better way to grow closer to God than being with him. Finding ways to feel God's presence requires some quiet, requires some discipline, but it is worth it! Email and text messages can wait. Sometimes people who have been Christ followers for years rest on their laurels - vitality suffers. Mediocrity creeps in.

Getting closer to God is a daily choice we can each make. Why not start your day inviting God's presence, my friend? Then tell me about it! I love hearing from you.

This talks about that choice - Build My Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4KZ8uMGync

Grace and peace,

Christine

PastorWoman.net

0 members like this