Psalm 73:27-28 / Stay Close.

Psalm 73:27-28 / Stay Close.

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

It happens every year.

Before I go off on a holiday or vacation, I set lofty goals for how much time I want to spend reading the Bible. I think about all the free time I will have and realize I am in need of refilling my spiritual tank.

But sadly, almost every time I fail to meet the goals I’ve set.

We stayed up later than I expected, one of the kids had a rough night, our schedule got filled with family stuff and left no room for quiet reflection…and suddenly, I am back home, feeling less spiritually filled than when I left.

Often on trips or times off work, we end up looking to other things to fill us up and help us recharge instead of spending time with God. Those things are not bad at all, don’t get me wrong, but they will never fill us up like Christ can.

King David recognized this, and said, “for me it is good to be near God.”

David knew that nearness to God is what kept him safe, encouraged, and healthy spiritually.

As I was reflecting on this passage, I read a quote by Oswald Chambers that made me think a little differently about how we should approach this holiday:

“The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.”

― Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

This holiday, whether you are with family and friends, or at home – I want to encourage you to stay close to the Lord. Your connection to God is a relationship – and like all relationships it takes time to maintain them and keep them tight-knit.

So, as you manage all the relationships you will connect with this holiday, family, friends, spouses – remember to set aside time for the most important relationship you have: your relationship with Christ. Be just as intentional about spending time with Him as you are with the rest of your family and friends.

It is good to be near God.

I love you all and hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Note: We will take the next few weeks off from the blog and will start it back up on January 12th!

Blessings,

Pastor Dave