How much distance is there between you and God? Do you hold back your affection due to fear or shame, or do you find yourself often sitting in His lap, leaning as close as you can…so close there is almost no distance at all?
In an article called Kiss Me (www.bobkilpatrick.com), Bob Kilpatrick described what God wants from a relationship with us:
“In the Old Testament, the Hebrew phrase ‘El pene’ is used to describe what God wants to enjoy with us. It means ‘face to face’…toe to toe, knee touching knee, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder, chin to chin, eye to eye, breath to breath, face to face. It means that God is calling us to close the distance between us and Him, to draw so close that there is no distance at all.”
In John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and had a conversation with her about worship. He said, “God is Spirit, and those that worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.” According to Mr. Kilpatrick, the word worship in the Greek means to come close and kiss.
Is that the way you worship? Many people define worship by the feeling they get from a particular song. But worship is not for our benefit, or to make us feel good! Worship is offering praise to God with our words, our songs, our love, and the outpouring of our lives for others. Does your worship kiss the Son?
A few months ago I sat on the balcony in the Opryland Hotel, high above the winding river and beautiful walkway below. I was listening to the song Beautiful (written by Nathan Cochran and sung by Todd Agnew) and began singing along quietly:
It was an intimate moment alone with God, face to face, breath to breath. Even though I was hurting and broken, unable to climb up into his lap, God lifted me up into His strong arms, gave me a kiss of grace, washed me clean, and called me beautiful.
I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of relationship my heart longs for–one so close there is no distance at all. That’s when I feel the most beautiful–when my King infuses my heart and soul with His love.
When you’ve been kissed by the King, it shows…even through tears.
Come close…He will not slap you or push you away. His arms are open wide, just waiting to hold you close.
His kiss brings healing and life. Come even closer…until you breathe worship, until your heart beats in rhythm with His, until His beauty becomes your own. Face to face, eye to eye, breath to breath!
She is an avid reader, author, Bible study teacher, public speaker (especially for women’s conferences), consultant/trainer in domestic violence issues, and volunteer/mentor for women’s drug and alcohol recovery facility. Brenda has co-authored two books: “Overcoming Abuse God’s Way” by Westbow Press and “Violence Among Us” by Judson Press. Both books are available at Amazon.com and on Kindle.
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Image credit: In God’s Hands by Frances Artman.
