Most mornings I find myself humming some of the old hymns; this morning, Nearer My God to Thee, popped into my head. As I mused on the words, I noted the movement seemed to indicate my moving nearer to Him. 鈥淵es,鈥� I told myself, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 what I want to do, I long to move ever closer to the Lord.鈥�
Following breakfast and the attendant cleanup, I sat down to continue re-reading a treasured book by Max Lucado: Come Thirsty. What I read brought tears to my eyes, a glorious sense of relief and the theme for this week鈥檚 article. In Chapter Nine Lucado relates the story of a young man, blinded by an accident, who had basically given up all social interaction and any sense of responsibility. One morning his father gave him orders to put up the storm windows, then, slamming the door he left for work. The young man responded with a grudging, 鈥淚鈥檒l do it but they鈥檒l be sorry if I fall off the ladder and break my neck.鈥� He didn鈥檛 fall, he didn鈥檛 break anything and he got the job done. What he didn鈥檛 know until many years later, however, was that his father was never more than a few feet from his son, watching him, ready to step in if his beloved boy was in trouble.
That beautiful account brought a new slant on the hymn as I realized it鈥檚 not my efforts in drawing nearer to God that keep me safe, it鈥檚 His eternal presence watching over me. Yes, we鈥檙e called upon to do our part but what a comfort to know it鈥檚 His intervention keeping us, now and forever.
鈥淯nto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.鈥� Jude 24 (NIV)
