Today’s quote is one that I read as I was studying for a lesson on “choosing to live a Godly life” for my young married’s class years ago.  The quote comes from J. Oswald Sanders, who was a general director of Overseas Missionary Fellowship in the 50’s and 60’s and authored more than forty books on the Christian life.

“Both Scripture and experience teach that it is we, not God, who determine the degree of intimacy with Him that we enjoy.  We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be.”

It is so easy to think that God should constantly be pursuing us because He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us that will allow us to be all that He intends for us to be.  And He does pursue us.  He does have a passion for us to be who He has designed us to be. There is no doubt about that.  It is evidenced all throughout the Scriptures.  Here is the deal though: We have to be pursuing Him as well!  He is there, arms open wide to take us in and share more and more of Who He is with us.  But we are not willing;  willing to sacrifice our time or our pursuit of what we hold as higher in value than God to have a relationship that we can have, if we will only choose it.

Do you want to be close to God?  It is up to you.  Only you can make the choice to draw closer to Him.  He is there.  Choose wisely!