The Heart Grows Fonder

John 17:20,21 I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me.

Have you ever felt as though you’ve drifted so far away from God that He might as well be a million miles away? And when we’re in that place, we get to wondering whether He would ever want us back.

I frequently spend time away from home travelling for ministry. Not surprisingly, I always miss my wife. Absence, as they say, makes the heart grow fonder.

But here’s what I’ve noticed. When it comes to God, it’s the complete opposite. I’ve been through times in my life when I was so busy that it was hard to find the time to spend with Him each day.

And you know how it goes … the less you pray, the less you feel like praying. So before you know it, you and God seem as though you’re a million miles apart. You’re not, by the way, but that’s how it feels.

So how do we deal with that? Well, Jesus, as things turn out, has a passion for being close to us.

Just before He was crucified, this is how He prayed:

John 17:20,21 I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me.

Jesus was praying for a oneness with you and me. When we drift away, we imagine that He would never want us back. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus yearns to be close to you. That’s why He went to the Cross.

So make the time for Him each day. Because when you draw close to Him, He always draws close to you.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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