Staying Near to God

One year ago today, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital in septic shock. This is the time that Debbie says, she was watching my life gradually drift away. I am thankful for the training the staff at Poudre Valley Hospital had just completed on treating septic shock. I believe I was the first “almost alive” patient on which they were able to put into practice their training. I returned home after six days in the hospital and ten days at Northern Colorado Rehab Hospital.

Today, I helped Debbie lead the Grief Share group at church. I did share with the men I was meeting with about this anniversary. I said, “but for God’s intervention, Debbie may have been here participating as a widow.”

Instead, I was outside early this morning clearing the driveway of snow pushing the snow shovel in my power wheelchair. It was nice to return home and find some neighbors had finished the job for us.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “…those who are far from You will perish…But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.” Psalm 73:27,28

 “The people of Reuben and Gad said, “This altar is a witness to all of us that the Lord is God.” Joshua 22:34

As the Children of Israel moved into the promised land, there were cities east of the Jordan river that were conquered and occupied by the tribes of Ruben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. The agreement was that the fighting men of those tribes would cross over the Jordan and fight with the rest of the tribes in conquering the land. When the initial battles were won and the tribes of Israel were assigned their boundaries, these tribes east of the Jordan were allowed to return to their cities.

As they returned, they built an altar that was a replica of the altar in front of the “Tent of the Lord’s Presence.”  This was perceived as an act of rebellion by the other tribes and they were preparing for war, when the eastern tribes explained that the altar was not for sacrifices, but for a sign for generations to come that these tribes were part of the inheritance God promised to Abraham. There declaration was “we will continue to serve the Lord God.”

When we fast forward in history we see that these tribes, like those even closer to Jerusalem, did not remain loyal the to the Lord. They were taken captive by the Assyrians as part of God’s judgment. When we read the gospels we find Jesus coming to the area of the “Gadarenes” (Luke 8:26-29). It is there he casts out a “legion” of demons from a man and sends them into the pigs who run off a cliff and are drown in the sea.

When we were touring Israel in the year 2000, we made a trip to the location of this miracle. Our Jewish guide was was an excellent historian with a chronic horse voice, and agnostic when it came to faith. He made a comment on this occasion that I still remember to this day. He said something like this, “when you distance yourself from the center of the presence of God, rebellion and spiritual darkness eventually take over.”

I thought this was challenging spiritual insight from someone who questioned God’s existence and continuing involvement in the lives of His people. However, the words are important ones to remember. When the Lord established the camping order for the tribes of Israel in the wilderness, everything was oriented to the “Tabernacle” that was in the center of the camp. This was a significant reminder that God’s presence is to be the center of our lives and the “north star” for our journey.

This was a change from the early days of the exodus when the “tent of the meeting” was outside the camp and Moses would go and meet with God and return to the people with God’s instructions.

Too many today view God as the one who is “over there” opposed to “right here.” Paul asks the Corinthians, Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God?”         (1 Corinthians 6:19)

When people distance themselves from God’s community and fellowship with God, they begin a journey in the wrong direction. That is not usually their intent. I’ve heard people say, “I am not ‘going the church’ but I haven’t ‘given up on God.” But it in time they find themselves “giving up on God”.

That is why the psalmist says, “it is good for me to be near to God.” That doesn’t mean life is always easy and trouble free. But life will only become more difficult and challenging when we distance ourselves from the Lord’s presence.