God is closer than you think..... part 1

In our small group over the last two weeks and heading into the next at least 5 weeks (depending on how long it takes to do each study..... this first session has taken us two weeks) we have been looking at the study "God is Closer Than You Think" by John Ortberg.... he also has a book of the same name. It has been encouraging to see the many ways through the Bible where God has been with His people, especially when they weren't expecting it.

So, for the next few days I am going to do my homework on here as a blog each day. Hope that it works like that!

The story of the Bible is the story of God's desire to be with people. He is determined that each of uys be His friend, His companion, and His dwelling place. He is stretching out to reach us and fill our lives with His presence. All it takes is the barest effort - the lifting of a finger, the whisper of a prayer - for all of us to reach Him. (God is Closer Than You Think Small Group Guide p.17)

Ortberg talks about the painting by Michaelangleo in the Sistine Chapel of God reaching out to man. The painting shows us that we too need to make an effort to "lift our finger", respond to Him and in doing so close the gap that remains between us and God.


I often hear people say that they don't know where God is in their lives, they can't feel His presence or see what He is doing. At times I have felt like this too, but as I grow as a Christian more and more I come to understand that it is us that distance ourselves from God and limiting what He can do in our lives and through us. I can think of a situation where God really made Himself known to me in a special way. I have always had some sort of relationship with God, so that in itself was not lacking at the time, but I think that this experience made me really believe that God was there and working in me. I had finished my Uni course to become a teacher and into the new year still didnt have a job. I remember being called on the phone and offered an interview at a Catholic school in Sea Lake, which is in the middle of nowhere in country Victoria. Of course one of the first things that I did was to pray about it and I recall sitting there (actually in the bath...... cause in a house with all the family there wasn't many other places you could not be disturbed!!!) and really praying and crying out to God about whether this was the right thing for me to do. I distinctly rememeber hearing God speak to me, and this is one of the only times I have heard Him in such a way, "I have something better for you". It was like all of a sudden I felt peace. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew without a doubt that God had promised that there would be something better!!!! I had an interview in Melbourne at a Christian school in Eltham....... I didn't get that job, but I did get a call not long after that offering me a job in Echuca at a small Christian College. I had not applied for that job, it was in the same cluster of schools as the one in Eltham, but this was the "something better" that God had promised and the moment I said yes, I just felt so much peace about it.

I think when we know that we are in God's will there is a peace that just comes over us that sometimes is difficult to describe. We just know it is right and in this particular circumstance it reminded me that God really did care for me and was a part of my life, it strengthened my relationship with Him. Sometimes fear can grip us in our attempts to lift a finger towards God, for us to be one. We can be afraid of what God is going to do in our lives if we let Him and if we allow Him to partner and journey with us.

God wants me to daily journey with Him. I'm sure that I'm not doing as well as I could, and this blog is a part of my journey to become better at some of that. But I'm trying to do better and by His Grace I'm sure that I will get there!

Blessings on the journey...................... Love Kylie xxx