What Does It Mean That He’s Close To Us?

close |klos| adjective : with very little or no space in between

I continue to make my way through a daily morning study of what it means to be truly human. Yesterday the Scripture text along with the meditation was from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Here’s a portion:

Celebrate joyfully in the Master, Jesus, all the time. I’ll say it again: celebrate! Let everybody know how gentle and gracious you are. The Master, Jesus, is near.

Don’t worry about anything. Rather, in every area of life let God know what you want, as you pray and make requests, and give thanks as well. And God’s peace, which is greater than we can ever understand, will keep guard over your hearts and minds in King Jesus.  
(Philippians 4:4-7, The Bible for Everyone)

Decades ago I was taught a really valuable lesson about reading the Scriptures. Namely, after I’ve read a portion, read it again, and then again, praying as I go, asking our Father what little bit he might really want to impress upon me and use to change me, help me, and encourage me. To take that portion of his holy word, and in the same way I’ll put an Icebreaker Cinnamon mint in my cheek for awhile to freshen my mouth and breath, put that bit of Scripture under my “spiritual tongue,” if you will, allowing it to just slowly dissolve into my soul throughout the day, “freshening” and enlivening me.

The spiritual mint from yesterday?

The Master, Jesus, is near.

It’s amazing how powerful a little word can be.

“Near”

It’s a word that has two, really important senses, and I think are both present here.

The word can mean close, as in proximity.
And it also means close, as in relationship.

And I want both from Jesus. I want him to be right at hand, as they say, shoulder to shoulder, to know that he will never leave me, and never forsake me, that he will always and forever be fully present at every moment of my life.

But that wouldn’t be all that helpful if we weren’t close relationally. I mean, a stranger could be all of the above, right, and we would take no comfort from it. But that’s not who Jesus is. He says that we are his friends (John 15:15). Because of his work on the cross, Jesus has made us his brothers and sisters (Galatians 4:5, 6; Ephesians 1:5). Friends and family. Of King Jesus. Stunning!

You know, so often I can fall into the trap in my personal study of God’s word of trying to get as much of it into me as possible. I suppose there are worse goals. However, I think there are also times where God wants us to make sure that before we move on, and read more, that we’ve really absorbed the bit he’s put right in front of us. To take as many days as it takes to exhaust all the flavor and meaning we can from it, before we continue.

That’s what I’ll be doing for at least a couple more days.

Savoring the stunning truth that, for the Christian, the Master, Jesus, is near.