He is Close
Let's go on to verse 2 of this new song Majesty and Mercy, which goes like this:
I could climb the heights of Hermon,
I could swim the depths of Jordan's seas and you'd still be there.
Even when I drifted from you,
still you held me close and kept me safe in your loving care.
The God We Cannot Escape
I'm borrowing from David here, in Psalm 139, where he talks about trying to go as far as the heavens or the underworld and finding God still there. We can't escape Him! Many of us try to escape Him, and try to get as far away from Him as possible, but still He is present.
Even for those who don't know Him, His grace is still in their lives. That's what we call prevenient grace - the grace God grants us without us even knowing or seeking Him. Thank God today that those who have tried to run away from Him are not completely lost - He is still there, pursuing them, even if they can't see it.
When We Drift From Him
As I said in the second half of the verse, even when I have drifted from Him, still He held me close. Now, to be clear, I do believe that a truly saved person can lose their salvation. There are many who don't believe that, but I believe that if you once knew God but then reject Him, He lets you go. He still pursues you and woos you back, but if you keep rejecting Him or dishonouring Him with wilful sin, He won't force His embrace on you. He'll be close, but He'll withdraw just enough until you repent and come back to Him.
Perhaps today you have drifted from Him. You've lost your first love, to use some language from Revelation. He has not just dropped you and pushed you out - He is longing for you to get close again. Is it time for you to reach out and take His hand, and start living with a close reliance on Him again, in close relationship with much prayer and much time in His Word?
Whether you've run a mile to escape Him, or just drifted a little - return to Him, would you? He is close! The moment you turn back to Him, His arms go around you, His embrace enfolds you, and you remember how wonderful it is to not just believe in Him, but to be held by Him.
May you know His warm embrace and His loving care, today.
God's presence is inescapable, and even when we drift from Him, He holds us and calls us back. If you have drifted from Him, today is the day to reach out and take His hand again.