DAY 2

PROXIMITY MATTERS

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR, THE WOODS CHURCH

Have you ever tried to talk to your kids or your spouse when they are on the opposite side of the house? You're in the living room, and they are in the far bedroom or the basement. You know they are saying something to you, but it all just sounds like muffled gibberish, and you follow up with a loud WHAT? Then the process repeats itself one, two, or even three more times, depending on how stubborn and lazy you are, until one of you decides to make the journey across the house to where you are finally close enough to hear them. Yet so often we expect to hear and understand God when we are nowhere near Him.

If your goal is to know the voice of God, and it should be, to have open dialogue and constant communication with Him, then your proximity to Him is really important.

As I was stepping into the Lead Pastor role here at The Woods Church a little over six years ago, I heard the Lord speak to me very clearly to build a presence-driven church. Having no idea how to do that or even knowing exactly what that meant, I asked and prayed a lot that God would show me, and He did. What he taught me was the importance of proximity. There are actually several places in Scripture that highlight this idea of proximity. Let me share three.

I remember reading about Joshua in Exodus 33 and how he would remain at the tent of meeting after Moses was done speaking with God. The tent of meeting housed the Ark of the Covenant which represented God’s presence. Moses would enter the tent and talk with God seeking God’s direction for Israel. Joshua would accompany Moses to the tent and remain outside the tent entrance.

Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

—Exodus 33:11

Why would Joshua stay behind? I believe it was because Joshua was falling in love with the presence of God and didn’t want to leave. He Found himself in close proximity, and there was nothing better. I believe there was a hunger being developed in Joshua, and I believe God and Joshua probably had their own conversations. Eventually Joshua went on to lead Israel and continued to get his instruction from the Lord.

Obed Edom is another guy who was forever impacted by his close proximity to God’s presence. When King David was transporting the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, the ox stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark, he immediately died. God had already commanded that none may touch the Ark. Poor Uzzah! David had a problem. He had to figure out God’s will and how to transport the Ark the proper way. In the meantime, guess where David decided

to stash the Ark of the Covenant? The house of Obed Edom. There is no doubt in my mind that Obed Edom must have accepted this responsibility with fear and trembling. For three months the Ark remained at Obed Edom’s, and scripture says in I Chronicles 13:14 that the Lord blessed the entire household of Obed Edom. The Ark of the Covenant, representing the Presence of the Lord, had entered Obed Edom’s home. And nothing but blessing came as a result. During these three months, Obed Edom fell in love with the presence of God. If you continue reading the several chapters that follow, the name Obed Edom comes up several times.

In I Chronicles 15:16-18, we see that he accompanied the Ark back to Jerusalem and became a singer and musician, a worshiper in the House of the Lord. In I Chronicles 15:24, We find Obed Edom being chosen to guard the Ark. I Chronicles 16:4-6, David appoints Obed Edom to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the Lord. And in 1 Chronicles 26:4-8, scripture says his sons also became gatekeepers in the House of the Lord. Sixty-two sons and grandsons in all. God’s presence had impacted and influenced Obed Edom’s entire household for generations to come. Wow! Being in close proximity to the Lord changed Obed Edom’s entire future for generations and it will change you too!

This leads to my last example found in I Samuel 3. This is the story of when God first began speaking to Samuel.

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was [emphasis added]. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

—I Samuel 3:1-4

If you read the rest of the story, you realize Samuel thought Eli was calling him and three times he got up and went to Eli to see what he wanted. Eli finally realized that it was the Lord who was calling to Samuel and gave him instructions of what to do if he heard the voice calling again, which he did. The part I don’t want you to miss is in verse 3. It says that Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Remember, the Ark represented the very presence of God. Samuel was laying down just outside the room where the Ark was. He was only a few feet away, separated only by a piece of material in the tent forming the wall. It was in Samuel’s close proximity that God spoke.

There are a lot of Christians today who believe in Jesus, claim Jesus, and have accepted Jesus into their hearts, but are nowhere near Him. In fact their minds, their thoughts, their priorities, and yes, even their actions prove that they are far, far away. They wonder why they can’t hear God, why God isn’t speaking, why nothing seems to be going their way, why it seems like God is silent. Let me assure you

it isn’t a God issue, it’s a proximity issue. Your proximity matters. Every day our first priority is to minister before the presence of
God. Every day we start with prayer, listening, and reading His Word. Throughout the day we never leave the posture of being with Him in His presence. We learn to continually pray, seek His direction, His heart, and His desires for us every hour. When we make being in close proximity a priority, it won’t be long before your ears become attuned to His voice and you hear Him regularly. It starts with our proximity.

PRAYER

Lord, I recognize that your presence changes everything. Forgive me for allowing my attention toward the cares of this world to create distance between us. I want to be found in close proximity to You. So today I choose to change, rearrange, or cut out whatever I need to, so that each day I may enjoy the pleasure of Your presence in my life. Give me ears to hear your voice and a heart that is attentive. Amen.