Living Nearer

 William Penn wrote the following words about George Fox. "He knew and lived nearer to the Lord than other men." Could those same words be said about you and me? I want them to be. I want to know the Lord and not spend all my days just knowing about Him. 

What does it mean to live nearer to the Lord than others? For one thing, it means living to get more acquainted with Him. We need to spend so much time seeking Him that we become familiar with His voice and His ways. We  may grow increasingly out of step with the modern times as we keep step with our Lord. We should willingly forsake the company of other people in preference to keeping company with Jesus. 

Living nearer to Jesus will mean long sustained times alone with Him. Times when we give Him our undivided attention. Times when we linger long with Him in the secret place. Times when we lose track of reality around us in favor of the reality of His presence. We need to bask in His presence. We ought to enjoy Him. We should keep growing ever closer. 

Do we long for that? I fear many church people have no such interest. They are satisfied with far lesser blessings. 

God, I plead with You to draw us closer. To deepen our hunger for You. To increase our thirst for You. To renew our commitment to pursue You relentlessly. Please help us live ever nearer to You. Even if doing so makes us outcasts to others. You are the best and closest companion we could ever enjoy. May we expend our days in following hard after You. May we live nearer to You. Amen.