Abiding Grace: The Joy of Getting Closer

In my younger days, I loved to read as much as I could.  I’d enjoyed being submerged in thoughts of wise people.  In my innate being, I wanted to know more about them, personally.

Let me confessed little bit, I’d follow few communist whose writing pattern had become an obsession to me.  I’d imitate their styles during my school days.  More than the content in their writing, it is their style of expressing, I had enjoyed.

A child getting closer and knowing more

We all enjoyed learning new things, I hope, for which writers or columnist became our channel for getting useful information and resources.

Few years had passed, when I got to know more about their ideologies and personal ethics, I stopped following some of them. I am no more a huge fan of them.  Why?  Because, only in my perception, I know them enough to the extent to even dislike them.

That being said, there are few reasons – I have become more critical of them.  And I remained there, to be among their faultfinders, before I’ve moved on.

Now, getting to know more and getting closed are quite similar yet dissimilar hugely.  And as you see, getting to know more of someone does not end in being getting close, somehow or never.

In the affairs of our so-called ‘love life or romance’, we can be attracted to someone before knowing them as much as we wanted to.  It can led to a spark between two different people meeting in the stages of life – infatuation.

There are some who are unable to tolerate and enjoyed their incompatibility, which gradually let them to split despite their past commitments to each other.  Failed partnership, failed marriage, failed relationship, or whatever name we called them.

In reality, our getting to know more must have led us to being getting closer.  However, it can hit rock bottom and blew wide open otherwise.  There’s nothing as such ‘an incompatibility-proof’ in all matters.

What is next?  Being unable to get closer because of the ‘I know you’ attitude, jealousy plays a spoiler.  When we felt not closed enough for few moments, our innate evil owner could creep in, destroying everything we had.

This critical view of fault finding can turn into compassion! One can take joy in dealing with incompatibility.  When compassion creeps in, criticisms can turn us into being closer.

One thing, I must tell you, in the love of God poured out and made available in the blood of Jesus Christ, all things are made possible in His might.

Remember all the divisive barriers and personal strongholds were crushed on the Cross of Calvary, in His abiding grace.

Apostle Paul urged the believers, of Philippians, to let their knowledge and insights must draw them closer to the resurrected Christ.  When he wrote to them, in Philippians 1:9,

“And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”

Our God, always, remained close in His abiding grace. The more we know the more we get closer or want to get closer instead.

Unlike other personalities and existing creatures of God, we could be as close as Christ Jesus, and as much as we wanted to.  His arm is always open to anyone. Let me end herewith;

To know more of Christ is to become closer to Him, day by day!

Unanswered Prayers 1: Closer to Him!

When you most needed it, your prayer seems to be in vain, we are often reminded.   Some prayers are answered immediately while some prayers seem unheard.  That is the reality of life.  We knew it and we wonder why?

Unfortunately, my elder brother became alcoholic.  Many tears were shed for him alone.  My parents and my whole family were in prayer mode for a long time.  My sister-in-law was a true prayer warrior.  She literally cried and shouted, to the Lord, ‘please do your work on my husband’.  Many times I saw her, on her knees, shedding tears before the Lord for her husband.

But then, there was no sign of him returning back to his good life that he’d lived before.   Our earthly eyes cannot see beyond that point.  We did not know how God was working on our brother.  But we knew He has worked His ways.  Our prayers went unanswered or it is very much heard?

Brother was a born-genius.  He doesn’t need training in carpentry works.  He can repair and work on any mechanical work.  He didn’t have the chance to pursue business courses.  Yet he undertook some real estate business very easily under his stride.  He built our house on his own.  He got lots of work done in his lifetime.  So he worked very hard.  He worked much harder than anyone in the family.

We spent our childhood together.  He was a good protector for me and a good fighter than me as well.  We love each other very much.  In whatever he laid his hands, to the fullest he did.  The same goes with wine.

Although we no longer lived in the same town, we had the chance to meet up in his final days.  We walked hand-in-hand, as we did in our childhood days.  We talked about what God has done for us.  The love of God was emphasized.  Brother was soft at heart.  At times, he requested me to lay hands on him and pray in his behalf.  We did that together.  I told him nothing can change the relation between him and God.  Many times he reiterated he was late for change.  His health had already taken toll on him.  But still we prayed.    If all the things are revealed time-to-time, there will be no meaning to life.

We returned back to our places.  After a month I was informed brother left for eternity.  Oh my! Doesn’t God hear our prayers and our request? No, He did.  He worked His ways.  It was hard to bear.  But then God did not make mistakes.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.*

“But where is the good part here?”  We asked.  We did not have all the answers of everything in this life here on earth.  Some of the things are better untold.  One day we will understand whether here on earth or in heaven, when we have fellowship with the Lord.  When He reveal the good things being promised here, it will be sweet!

When we see Him face-to-face, all things will be whole.  We will get all the answers we wanted for ages.   The Lord declares, ^“Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”* 

Some questions are better left unanswered.  It draws our heart closer to God.  The time will come when all will be revealed.

To God be the glory.  He holds together all the earth.  The mind cannot measure His majesty.

Romans 8:28, John 16:22