General Stuff

Drawing close

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We’ve got a cute little lapdog named Bella. She’s a little over 10 years old and has a combination of a few breeds in her, but the biggest part in her makeup is cute.

She has a way of drawing you in and loving her. Trust me on this, it’s practically impossible to be near her and not pet her, especially when she rolls over and stretches out as if to say, “See my belly? You should rub it!”

There’s a verse in the Bible that Bella illustrates perfectly (even though she’s never read the Bile because, well, she’s a dog!).

Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8 NIV)

Just like Bella’s openness to me draws me closer to her, so our openness with God draws Him closer to us. Sometimes we want to stand away from God with our arms folded, almost daring Him to move near us. But that misses the point and the promise of our verse, doesn’t it? When we move toward God, He promises to move toward us, and from my experience, the distance covered is never equal.

[Tweet “I may draw closer by an inch, but God will draw closer by a mile.”]

I may draw closer by an inch, but God will draw closer by a mile. He always overtakes me when I open myself to Him. So today, be Bella. Throw yourself in openness and surrender before God and allow Him to draw closer to you than you ever thought He would.

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May 9, 2021by Paul Jenkins
Written by Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins is lead pastor of The Gathering, a community church located in beautiful downtown Albemarle, North Carolina. He's the author of God is My Air Traffic Controller and My Name's Not Lou. Paul is passionate about his wife, his 3 children, running, reading, coaching, leading people who are following Jesus, Swedish Fish and the Carolina Panthers.