You're as Close as You Choose to Be

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

Each one of us is as close to God as we choose to be. He has given us an invitation to draw near to Him, and our response determines our depth of intimacy with Him. There were five circles of intimacy around Jesus that illustrate the closeness that we can experience with the Father.

There were the multitudes that followed Jesus wherever He went. They were looking for a dazzling display of power. All they wanted was to see a sign and a wonder. There are those today who are just looking for something new and extraordinary. They go from meeting to meeting, from church to church, never committing, never adding, and never finding what they are looking for.

From the multitudes there emerged seventy people whom Jesus chose and gave the power of His name to preach the gospel of the Kingdom and to heal the sick. He sent them out in thirty five teams of two.

Then after a night of prayer, Jesus chose twelve men who became His disciples. They were trained to minister as He did and he taught them much about Kingdom business.

From the twelve there were three disciples that experienced more than the others. Peter, James, and John were with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. They saw Him glow with the Glory of God. They were with Him in the room when He raised a little girl from the grip of death. They saw and heard more than the average disciple.

Lastly, one of the disciples is mentioned in the book of John as the disciple whom Jesus loved. He is seen at the last supper laying his head on Jesus’ chest. He seemed closer to Jesus than the other eleven. This was the disciple named John, and he spoke of himself in the gospel that bears his name.

All of theses groups were as close to Jesus as their response to His loved allowed. He loves everyone equally. Their position was as a result of their response to Him.

The multitude, the seventy, the twelve, the three, or the one. Which group would you be in today? The place of closeness that John enjoyed is available to us all.

We are today as close to Jesus as we choose to be. Let’s draw near!