Within Range

Within Range

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while he is near."

With the colonial troops running out of ammunition in their fight against British forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Colonel William Prescott is said to have made the now famous statement "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." He wanted to be sure that the opposing forces were within range before anyone fired off their precious ammunition. The same scene is repeated in war movies of every kind and in movies such as the recent Pirates of the Caribbean where the mates were told to hold their fire until the other ship was within range of their cannons.

At a Tigers game this year (they lost in 10 innings), we went early to watch a little batting practice. There were probably about 50 people there, crowded by the left field fence, hoping to catch one of the home runs hit into the stands. And then there's the throwing of the bouquet at weddings, with all the single young ladies trying to catch the coveted "you're next" bouquet, hoping to be within range of the beautiful bride's toss.

When I wrote "within range" in my Daytimers last Friday, I was thinking about it in a spiritual sense, being within range of God's blessing, favor and protection. We've been told "Come near to God and He will come near to you" and to "approach the throne of His grace with confidence". In Song of Solomon, the beloved is told that if she didn't know where to go, she should stay close to the shepherd. We each want to be close enough to the Lord to be able to hear His voice, even the still small voice, when He is speaking to us. We each want to be close enough to the Lord to experience His presence and His power in our lives, pressing through like the woman with the issue of blood, to receive a touch from Him.

But we have to face the reality that sin separates us from God. Our own choices and decisions, including the time and effort we put into our relationship with the Lord, have a tremendous impact on our being "within range" of the Lord's blessing on our lives. Is there an area in your life, something you've not yet been able to surrender, that is keeping you out of range of the blessings and benefits of being a son or a daughter of the King? Make the effort to draw closer to the Lord, make whatever adjustments are necessary to put your life "within range" of the blessings of His love.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church