The Gift of His Presence

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8, NKJV)

Recently four of us met for lunch. We do it fairly often, and it has become a great time to relax and catch up on what’s happening. We have our own special corner of a nearby fast-food restaurant where no one minds us just sitting and chatting for a while.

Our conversations can go anywhere and everywhere—new recipes, gardening tips, church news, prayer needs, childhood memories, latest travels. What does not happen is constantly staring at our phone screens. We actually talk to each other. This particular day, before we knew it, four hours had passed. Four hours of personal interaction, not a digital connection.

Someone once described what we did that day as “sharing the gift of presence.” Online platforms cannot give us that human connection that we all need. As we shared, we were open with each other. We laughed, we empathized, we shared our hearts. It’s difficult to do that when tapping out a short text message. Many aren’t even complete sentences, much less a deep sharing of thoughts and feelings.

We all need connections with others. They are important to our overall wellbeing. Studies have shown that poor social relationships are as detrimental to our health as obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure. We need our friends! It’s healthy.

True connection with others is more than proximity. It means looking them in the eye and engaging with them. It involves really listening, asking questions, and showing interest. It means a willingness to be vulnerable, which involves trust on both sides.

In other words, developing a deeper relationship requires time and effort. It doesn’t just happen.

As I thought about that day with my friends, I began to consider another relationship that is even more important to me. I began to ask myself some tough questions.

• Have I been as intentional as I should be? Or do I sometimes shortchange my friend with the time and effort I am willing to invest in our relationship?
• Do I make sure we spend quality time together each day?
• When we are together, am I easily distracted and allow my thoughts to wander, or do I give Him my full attention?
• Do I really listen to, and respect, what He is saying to me?
• Am I willing to be vulnerable to Him, to let Him see my innermost thoughts and feelings?
• Do I treasure our times together and look forward to spending even more time with Him?

Of course, I am talking about my relationship with the Lord. He always has time for me, but do I always make time for Him? Jeremiah 29:13 assures us, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (NKJV).

Perhaps there are two more questions we should ask ourselves as we think about our relationship with the Lord.

• Is this relationship a priority in my life? If not, why not?
• What can I do to make my relationship with the Lord stronger and deeper?

God is always willing to give me the gift of His presence. If there is anything lacking in our relationship, it is my fault, not His. I must be willing to invest my time and effort to keep our relationship vibrant and strong. I must be willing to offer Him the gift of my presence as well.

Let Psalm 63:1-5 be your prayer today.

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.

Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

(New King James Version)