Close to You

“Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.” [1]

I remember Karen Carpenter singing this song when it was a number one hit on the radio. I thought to myself, “How wonderful it would be to be close to someone that I admire, and that she would feel the same way about me.” Well, the Lord did bless me with that someone in Sherry my wife. Praise the Lord! 43 years later, I enjoy being close to her.

The Lord longs for this kind of relationship with me and you as well.

King David enjoyed such a relationship with the Lord. He wrote, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength.” “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.” “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” [2]

In fact, the Lord neither enjoys nor condones unfaithfulness. The Lord allows those who don’t love Him to depart from Him. He wants to be close to us but will not force Himself upon us if our feeling is not mutual. For example, when His people no longer wanted to worship or serve Him in the Old Testament: “Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.” [3]

The love that the apostles had for Jesus Christ is a great example for us. Paul wrote, “We commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” [4]

You see how greatly Paul loved the Lord? There was no trial too great, to dampen Paul’s love for Christ. Oh, that all God’s people had such a great love for Him. He is worthy of such love! Just think of what Jesus did for you and me. He took a cruel whipping, slapping, spitting, nails through His hands and feet, and death itself to demonstrate how He longs to be close to you and me. He intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father at this moment.

Paul urged us, “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” [5] Don’t take the Lord’s love for granted! Love Him back enthusiastically!

Our Lord and Savior Jesus warns us against relationships that are unequal. He doesn’t like them and He doesn’t want us to lower our standard for them either. He says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’” [6]

In other words, be careful about whom you draw close too. Some will try to quench and divert your longing to be close to Christ. Such people are those that you should unequivocally tell that you are in a relationship with Christ and that you will not compromise your relationship with Him for them. Much like the lovers in the Song of Songs did in the Bible! No amount of mocking could diminish their love for each other. No, our inner circle should consist of those who love God. Just think of Peter, James and John! They wanted to be near the Lord. John called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins. Thank You for wanting to be close with me. I want to be close with you.”

[1] Songwriters: Burt F. Bacharach / Hal David
[2] Psalm 18:1; Psalm 16:6, 11; Psalm 17:8
[3] 1 Chronicles 9:1
[4] 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
[5] 2 Corinthians 6:1
[6] 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
[7] John 13:23; John 21:20