Do you ever go through your day with thoughts about God, but not really talking with Him?  It’s a bit like having family who live in another state.  You know you’re related, connected, and on good terms with each other but you haven’t had a good visit in awhile.  They may be in your thoughts daily, but that isn’t the same as the times when you give each other your undivided attention and converse.

I think this is similar to our relationship with God.  We often forget that we aren’t bound by distance or proximity when it comes to being in His presence.  We don’t have to consider whether or not He may be busy at the moment.  We don’t have to text ahead to see if He’s available to talk with us at a certain time – He’s always ready to listen to us when we call.  All we have to do is unclutter our lives enough to be alone with Him in prayer.

We don’t have to wonder if He’s thinking about us or if we need to check to see if He has left us a message.  We have His Word with us constantly, assuring us that He hasn’t forgotten about us.  Yes, He’s left us a message today – and every day.  All we have to do is take the time to read what He’s saying to us in the Bible, or get quiet enough to hear Him speak to our hearts by the Holy Spirit who, by the way, is always near, dwelling within us.

Because we want to continue to stay connected to our family, no matter where they live, we reach out to them in an effort to be close.  In the same way, let’s not forget about or neglect our closeness with God, knowing that He desires that same closeness with us.  James 4:8 (NASB) tells us to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”