Close enough

 

I remember hearing a phrase that I always thought was funny; close only counts in horseshoes, dancing and nuclear warheads. I thought it was funny anyway. Working as a painter for many, many years I have overheard carpenters say, “That’s close enough, the painters will caulk it and you won’t see the gap where the wood comes together.” Their joints on the wood were good but they weren’t perfect, close enough was good enough.

 Do we sometimes adopt the attitude of “close enough” in our relationship with God?  We know we have been saved from our sins but we spend little time reading His word or praying or demonstrating our faith in a loving attitude to those in need? The Apostle

Peter ended his second epistle with the words, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”  We are not to be stagnant in our faith but we are to continue to grow closer to Jesus and not be content that we are “close enough.”

 In the Old Testament God made this statement to Moses in Exodus 24:2, “And Moses alone shall come near the LORD, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him." God was telling the people that they were “close enough” and they could not proceed up the mountain where Moses was going. Even if they wanted to get closer, they were instructed by God to stay where they were.

 As New Testament believers we will never hear the words from the Lord that we are “close enough.” Because of our great High Priest, Jesus, we can come into His presence boldly and ask for mercy and grace to help in our time of need. May we continue to cling to the encouragement in James 4:8 which states, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

 

Pastor Marty