Right Here

I wish you could have seen it. Easter Sunday as our family attended a sunrise service, the pastor started explaining Romans 10:9 (ESV) “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” As he expounded on what it means to confess and believe, I looked over at my six-year-old grandson, sitting cross-legged in his daddy’s lap.

It took my breath away and tears sprang instantly. He had closed his eyes and made his hands into prayer hands and was listening intently. I grabbed my daughter’s hands as we rejoiced in our hearts to see how much he already loves Jesus. Not the least bit distracted or concerned with those around him.

Grown-up life is tough. We are distracted by the day-to-day. We are absorbed in accomplishing, or pleasing, or surviving. We feel distant from God forgetting this truth: “God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17: 27 NIV)

Sometimes there are wonderful nuggets of truth in novels written by a Christian author. In Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin the main character tells a young woman who has endured severe challenges in her short life: “We all have moments of doubt. But our faith allows us to bring our doubts to God and ask all those hard questions. Why? Where were You? How could You let this happen? God would much rather have an honest wrestling match with us than have us keep our distance and pretend we don’t have any doubts at all.”

Moments later the main character gets some devastating news and says to herself: “Now my faith has flown on wings of fear…”. Can you relate?

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 (NIV) Paul is speaking to a group in Athens who pride themselves on gathering knowledge. He tells them not only is God near to each of us, but that we can’t take our next breath without Him.

Don’t overlook the deep truths in these two verses, they are the essence of God’s relationship to us. He longs for us to turn to Him, He’s right here with us, He makes it possible that we live and move and be who we were created to be.

I want to try ‘sitting in my Father’s lap’, eyes closed, prayer hands folded, oblivious to all that’s on today’s schedule, and simply remember He’s not far, He’s right here with me.