An Arm’s Length Away

Yesterday I was reading and writing down a devotional from “Come Away My Beloved,” and a thought came to me. Before I explain the thought I had though, I should give a brief excerpt from the devotional I had read:

“I am not only the God of congregations, but the God of the individual, and I am as concerned for you as I was for Abraham or Joseph or David. You are never one of many to Me. You are precious and dear to My heart, yes, even as a very special treasure. For I love you more than you can ever comprehend, and I long to gather you in My embrace and hold you close to My heart. Do not hold me at arm’s length because you have a sense of unworthiness. Have you not read the redeemed are brought near by the blood of Christ? Your sins are not covered; they are washed away! They are not only forgiven; they are forgotten! Don’t hold back My love.”

The first thing that came to mind when I was writing this down was “Why do we have the tendency to hold God at arm’s length?” According to the above devotional, it is because we have a sense of unworthiness. Although I believe this is true to an extent, I also feel we hold God at arm’s length because we want to live half in the world and half under God’s hands. As Christians, we sometimes try to remain in the world and control our own lives, yet also try to live for God when it is convenient or beneficial for us so that we may reap the rewards. We rationalize this by thinking “See God I’m putting you first in this situation!” yet go about other circumstances while holding God at a distance. We are so hesitant to give Him full control.

The problem with this attitude we occasionally have, is that God calls us to be so much more than this. After all, He has sacrificed EVERYTHING – how can we be choosy with what we give to Him?!

Today I challenge us to start giving God our “finest china” and embrace Him with open arms. I also pray that the Lord will give us the strength to trust Him with all that we give Him.

Glory to God alone,
Shannon

“Holding Onto You” by Paul Colman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zSmICsax3o&feature=related