Closer Than NearbySample

THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The final day of this Plan challenges us to take a last difficult leap towards intimacy with God. It is the part where we allow Him to show us the dark places in our lives that we are not even aware of ourselves. In the same way that mature earthly lovers allow each other to point out each other’s shortcomings, David also trusts God with his.

David ends his love song by opening his heart completely to God. He asks God to look into every dark corner and point out the ugly parts. David can do this because he trusts that God has his best interests at heart. He knows that God will not exploit his weaknesses but will help him fulfill a greater purpose. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT).

Even though God already knows all our faults, the only way to have real intimacy with God is by allowing Him to bring our sins into the open. When we allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts, we become so close to God that it is impossible to distinguish our own will from his. “But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:26-28, NLT)

What is holding you back from having an intimate relationship with God? Are you willing to trust God with the darkest corners of your heart?

Let us trust God to examine and heal our hearts. Only when God has healed us can we experience true intimacy with Him. “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit IN you..” (Ezekiel 36:26-27, NLT).