If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. —John 14:23 

Despite longing to be close to Father God, we often feel that He is far away. But the real issue is not that God is far off and doesn’t care about us. Our real predicament is that we are hesitant to open up and completely let Him in.  

Years ago, as a new believer, I was praying to experience the Lord more deeply. One day, in my bedroom, suddenly I encountered the powerful presence of the Ruach HaKodesh. But you know what happened next? Something in me pushed Him away. When the Holy Spirit came so close and near to me, involuntarily something in me rose up, and I rejected Him. Why? Because He was too close.  

You see, we are often afraid to fully let God in because we feel vulnerable. We are not comfortable with that type of intimacy. We want a relationship with God, but sometimes we prefer Him to be somebody who lives a few doors down. We don’t want Him moving into our own bedrooms. 

Beloved one, we need to recognize and surrender to the reality of how close God is. We need to remove any barriers we have established that hinder His love and involvement in our lives. Let’s ask Father to expand our hearts so He can fully make His home within us. 

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Entering His Presence (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2023), Used by permission.