At the end of an email that I sent to an old friend, whom I had not seen or been in touch with for many years, I wrote the words, “keep in touch!” I didn’t want the connection to be lost again!
Someone else said to me after I visited her at home the other day,“Don’t be a stranger”… encouraging contact and communication and that closer relationship.
The Bible has a lot to say regarding strangers: how to treat them , welcome them , look after them etc.
It also talks about how we can be a stranger to God… not knowing Him and His ways.
Psalm 39 :12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
That’s not the heart of God… He wants relationship! He doesn’t want us to be a stranger in His presence!
“That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all…” Ephesians 2:19-22
For many, it is so easy to allow our busy lives, our routines, our circumstances and the people around about us to make us “strangers “ to God – we don’t know Him as we should, maybe as we used to – we’ve lost contact with Him through lots of reasons. Just as I lost contact with my friend … It took me a few moments to discover her address, and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard now!) and make that contact again! Finishing my letter with – keep in touch! – she did! And the lovely thing about it is she has now been in touch with a few more of our mutual friends, because – I made contact again – I picked up the friendship we’d had a long time ago.
God really wants us not to lose contact and He’s not slow to contact us as it were – He just waits for the invitation to be part of our lives. His Word is full of the grace and mercy we need to give us hope for the days ahead.
It’s really nice knowing barriers are down, the renewed contact has such potential with my friend… but with God it’s more than just a letter or phone call now and then… it’s a daily relationship and lifestyle He offers us… look at some , just some of the promises He gives to those who walk with Him:
Matthew 11:28-29 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Psalm 27: 14 Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
John 14: 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Matthew 28:20 I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
SO many invitations to have the best! There are many invitations to come and have what we long for inside… relationship, friendship, wisdom, peace, health.
We simply have to receive the invitation and accept it… maybe for us it’s time to respond to God’s email/ letter /phone call to us… to actually become a friend of God and not a stranger anymore.
Simply ask Him – then read His letter (His Word) to you and get to know Him better 🙂