Close enough?

For those who cling to the true God, it is said, “Clear the way that they travel; widen the roads and make them smooth! Take away any difficulty so that they may go easily!” For the highest God above, who is and always will be, the only One who is holy has this to say: I live in the high and holy place, yet I am with the low, the weak, and the humble. I renew their vitality and revive their strength...For the human spirit would grow faint—the breath of life I created would soon grow weak. (Isaiah 57:14-16 VOICE)

I have put microfiber towels in with my regular towels, only to find the microfiber ones clinging so firmly to the regular towels that I have to peel them off. Their 'cling' isn't permanent, but it takes some doing to get them apart from the rest of the laundry load. The 'intensity' of their cling reminds me that God wants us to conform to him just like those 12x12 microfiber cloths cling to anything they get next to in my dryer load. They don't just fall away when I shake them out - they have to be peeled away. Even then, they don't do it without some intense resistance! Are you clinging to God today? It is a simple question, but with a complex answer. God wants our 'cling' to be so thorough that there is no 'gap' between him and us - so tight the bond that it is going to take some really hard work to separate us from him!

That 'cling' yields some great 'benefits', though. We will always have his presence with us - regardless of the road we travel. We will always be renewed and revitalized for whatever lies ahead. We might grow weak in our own strength, but his 'reviving breath' is always there to lift us up and give us new strength for the journey ahead. The 'cling' we maintain is important to our well-being along life's paths - when we allow distance to come between God and us, we invite unnecessary obstacles and worries into our lives.

The one who IS and ALWAYS WILL BE is with us. Don't ever lose hope, even in the midst of tough struggles and seemingly endless battles. He hasn't abandoned those who cling to him. He is right there and he has prepared and is still preparing that path that lies ahead for us. Our spirit is frail - it grows weary when the struggles get 'too real'. Our spirit won't get us through, though - it is his Spirit within us that helps us rise again, take that next 'first step' forward, and keep taking steps in his power.

I put those dryer sheets in there with the laundry load, but even their 'power' isn't enough to release that microfiber cling. That is how it will be with those who have determined their 'cling' will not be interrupted by anything. Their heart is determined to reside so close to Jesus that there is no definable distance between them and him. Does that define your 'cling' today? Are you in a place where even those things 'designed' to interrupt your 'cling' to him are deemed ineffective? I hope so! If not, it isn't too late to turn again to him, hold on tightly to his robe, and let that closeness envelop you once again. Just sayin!