Nearness

Went for a walk late in the afternoon yesterday, wearing my Air Pods. i always wear them with noise cancellation, so i don’t hear much of what is going on around me. yesterday i had a little boy run up to my dog. Stop. Look at me. I could tell he was processing, remembering what his Mom told him about dogs. He almost stretched out his hand and quick took it back. May I pet your dog?

There ya go, kiddo. Of course, Starburst is a safe, happy dog, but his Mama stood by watching. She waved, I waved. I nodded to her, nodded to the boy. Took out my air pod and we had a little chat. Safe.

Friend, I’ve been thinking about this encounter. This boy knew what he needed to do. He was excited, but cautious. He was itching to touch my fluffy floof, but he waited. This may sound a little silly, but I think I need to treat social media teachers in the same way.

I love watching short videos with animals. Every so often, I get someone “teaching”, and I need to remember, I don’t know this person. I don’t know his/her philosophies. I need to proceed with caution.

However, this is not how I come to Christ. I don’t want him to be an afterthought. I don’t want him to be second in my life. I want to elevate him in my time and energy. I don’t have to proceed with caution. I know who is His Father. He comes with good recommendations.

I’ve been writing about the nearness of our God. The nearness of Christ. Today, after writing about this, I realized I want to go and find verses about the Christ we love. So here it goes.

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭20‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/col.1.13-20.NASB1995

this is truth to write on my heart. I am rescued. I am transferred. I am redeemed. Forgiven. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Firstborn of all. Everything has been created by him. He is before all. Everything holds together because of Him. He is over the church. He is beginning. Firstborn of the dead. First place in everything. All the fullness of God is in HIM. I am reconciled, by his blood, I have peace.

I can approach Him with confidence. And today, that is what I need to remember.