Proverbs 15:29-30

The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
A bright look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the body.

Near……Far…….

Do you remember Grover doing this on Sesame Street? I do. For some reason, this is one of their skits that is cemented in my memory. I don’t know why, maybe just because I liked Grover.

Do you want to be close to God? I know I do. I want God to be as close as possible. In fact, James 4:8 tells us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. But, along with that, I also want God to hear my prayers. Does this mean that God doesn’t hear the prayers of the wicked? I don’t think so. In fact, I think there are times when God answers their prayers to draw them to Himself. But, if you want to be certain that God hears your prayers, then you want to make sure you are living rightly and not wickedly.

At the same time, we don’t want to be like Grover, getting exhausted in the exchange between near and far. We don’t want to be in a yo-yo relationship with God, getting tired by constantly trying to come close and then just as constantly allowing ourselves to slip farther and farther away.

I also don’t want to neglect the other proverb mentioned today, but it doesn’t need a whole lot of explanation. A bright look brings joy to the heart and good news gives health to the body.

If you’re from the midwest or the south east part of the United States, you know that people are typically friendly. They smile at you and say hi when you see them in the store, even if you have no idea who they are. Sure, they probably gossip about you after you walk past, but still, they’re friendly to your face. And if you haven’t experienced it in a while, it can be refreshing. It was for me when i went back there last August. I walked into a Taco Bell after having flown all night and getting ready for a 3 hour drive. And what refreshed me at the moment wasn’t the Mt. Dew, it was the smiles on people’s faces as I walked in.

And, the last part, Good news. Do you remember getting good news recently? I do. For instance, not too long ago, I was permanently installed (like software or something) as the Lead Pastor at our church. It was good news. And just hearing that good news was uplifting to my body.

Point being, wherever you find yourself today, Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Don’t get caught up in the exchange.