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Anyone Who Comes To Him

 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

 Another wakeful night and this was the verse I landed on. I last discussed this verse on May 1, and my focus was on trust. This time let’s focus on God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that God exists. This is simple logic. One doesn’t come to something that doesn’t exist. But if we’re honest, there are times when we aren’t sure there is a God. And for those who claim there isn’t, there are times when they aren’t sure there isn’t. There are times when both the insecure believer and the insecure nonbeliever say, “OK, God. If You’re real…if You’re out there….” And that’s the problem. If He’s real, He’s “out there,” not with us, as He claimed and promised. At least, that’s how it seems. We may be uncomfortable with this feeling and even berate ourselves for doubting.

But read the verse again. Anyone who comes to Him. How can we come to Him if we are with Him already? He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. How can we seek Him if we have Him already? Why would we seek Him if we sense that He’s right there?

But why should we ever sense that He’s not right there? He’s omnipresent, isn’t He? And if He loves us, wouldn’t He want us to feel the security of His constant presence? Why would He ever put us through the trauma of His absence?

          The main answer is “Love.” If He imposed His presence on us all the time, He would not be loving us. And if He imposed His presence on us all the time, we would not grow in our capacity to love Him, which would harm us as people. And it is in the times when He isn’t right there that we can come to understand ourselves and our relationship with Him. We are never so appreciative of air or rain as when we’ve experienced its lack. And when He seems to draw away, He gives us a choice, to seek Him or not. He gives us a choice, to love and mature in that love, to please Him, or to walk away.

          Right now, the choice for me is pretty easy.

         

 

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