Checking in With Michelle Williams, a 5-Day DevotionalSample

The story of Abraham shows us that God has always valued people; he’s always valued closeness. It shows us how God has always placed the most importance on relationships, even before sending us his Son, Jesus. If anything, it was the God of the Old Testament who did send us Jesus. He knew that he would never be as close to us as he wanted to be unless he made a way.

So he sent his sinless Son, his perfect Son, his compassionate, strong, brilliant, and good Son to be killed. Not just to make a point. Not just so we’d follow him. Not just so we’d know he is God. He sent Jesus to make the first move—the first move toward us. To show us he wouldn’t let anything stand between us. That’s how much God wants to be near to us. It’s kind of crazy, right? It’s like, Lord, you can’t really love us this much? You can’t really want to chill with us this badly?!

But yes, because of Jesus, we can be close to God.

If the problem isn’t God moving away from us, it must be that we’re moving away from God. Because God isn’t going anywhere. He doesn’t take vacations to Cabo and leave somebody else in charge. He doesn’t nap or get on Twitter. God always stays exactly where he is. . . .

Sometimes God takes away the plan of man because he wants all the glory. He wants to do it for us and in us. He wants us to make no mistake about where our help came from. He wants us to come to him. He wants us to stop praying the rote prayers that are polite and memorized. He wants us to talk to him like he’s a friend. Like he’s a friend who can handle our honesty. He wants us to check in.

Prayer

Father, thank you for sending Jesus so that I can be closer to you. Please help me to stay close to you and to follow the plan you have made for me. Amen.