Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I pray you have one close friend … a close relationship. Not just physically close though. I pray you have a close friend who understands you – whom you understand … the one who gets your jokes, finishes your thoughts, or knows exactly what you need even when you haven’t expressed the need. I pray you have a close friend you can go to when you have a challenge in your life or who comes to you with their struggles. If you have such a relationship, try to remember how it came about …

My guess is it came about because, for whatever reason, you dug deep into each other’s lives. You got into each other’s hearts and minds. To do this required communicating … using words … to share feelings, emotions, ideas, and even a good joke. Words are critical to developing close friendships. They help us to remember the basis for our relationships.

If you think about it, you can get no closer to a person than to be in their heart … the core of their being. Paul, remembering the basis of his relationship with God – remembers God’s Word found in Deuteronomy 30:14 and says, “‘The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim).” (Romans 10:8) In Deuteronomy Moses, preparing for his death, also speaks with God’s people as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Some in the congregation might’ve been wondering how they’d get along in this new place. Without Moses, they wouldn’t have their leader. And then, would God still be with them? What would happen to their close relationships? Moses reminds them to remain strong in faith … don’t worry … God isn’t going anywhere. God is found in His Word. And that Word isn’t far off. It’s not in heaven … out of reach. It’s not in some far-off land … waiting for someone to come get it. It’s right here … inside us … in our mouths … in our hearts.

Though we may drift away at times, ignoring His Word; God never leaves us. His Word is in our mouths and hearts. He’s right there with us. And when we need Him, all we need to do is call on Him in faith, and we’ll be saved. God will remember His Word of promise, also remembered by Paul, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32)

We all have a special close relationship. God our Father is always with us. His Word dwells in our hearts. It dwells in our mouths. This Lent, as we journey through Good Friday to Easter, God helps us remember – He’s never far away. Lent is a good time to pack God’s Word into our hearts through devotions and prayer.  He helps us remember His Word, dwelling inside us, when we, or those we love, are struggling. As we speak His Word in prayer, He helps us remember – He hears and answers our prayers. God is close to us. He understands us. He knows our needs. Through His Son, the Word made flesh, He shows His love for us. We remember …

                                                                                        In His Love,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim