The God of Closeness.

Have you ever had your kids give you that look like, "why are you doing this to me?!" It is usually followed by, "I hate you!" The one phrase that should bring a smile to every parent's face. Sure, it is painful, but it probably means you're doing the right thing... like your 12 year old daughter wanted to go to an Ozzy concert with her EMO boyfriend or something. Or your 17 year old son wanted to go camping with boys and girls and no adult supervision. You said, "No," because you're a caring, involved parent and they got mad because they can't understand yet what the danger is. They will, someday.

The Apostle Paul traveled to Athens and had the opportunity to preach to the high council of the city. They had many, many, gods that they worshiped but they had one big problem. They didn't know what any of them expected. If they worshiped one of their gods and then a storm came and killed people they would assume they worship wrong and that god was mad. So they'd try something else. If something they considered good happened they'd decide that was the appropriate way to worship.

It was kind of like being let loose on a pitch-black football field and being told find the candle and the single match (the paper kind in from a matchbook) to light it so you can figure out where you are and how to connect with god.

Paul says, God is not like that at all. It is His desire, His "purpose" that we find Him! So, he gives us the match and the candle! He wants us to find Him because He wants to have a relationship with us. There are not a bunch of hoops to jump through or a series of "trials" to go through to determine if you are worthy, He's already made you worthy. He already determined you were worth it when He, "formed you in the womb." In fact, Paul goes on to say, without His involvement we could not survive. It is IN HIM that we live (have the capacity for Real Life) and move (exercise our will in the world) and exist at all! It all comes from Him because He is intimately and directly involved in each of our lives.

But sometimes we can't understand what He's doing in our lives. We don't recognize the dangers, or the trouble or see that there is anything we might need to avoid. And so He disciplines. He directs. He disciplines. We do not avoid every pain in life, every trouble or struggle or negative situation... neither do our children. But He wants to protect us as much as possible. And when we mess up He is the only one who gets to say, "I brought you into this world... I can take you out" and mean it.

Thanks God for helping me to avoid some things, while allowing me to experience others. I wouldn't know how good I had it without knowing how bad it could be.