Diana Welcomes Guest Bloggers Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles

Come a Little Bit Closer, Lord - He Said , by Eddie Jones
"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Exodus 3:5 (NIV)

Last week my wife leaned into me and whispered: "Come a little closer." With the heated anticipation that comes from twenty-nine years of marriage... I held my plate under the bowl of creamed corn. "Don't want it to spill it on the stove," she explained.

Ah, the yearning to be near the one you love, even if it is only long enough to fill your plate with home cooking. Later that evening, with iPod earplugs in my ears, I silently called to God while Christine Mcvie's silky voice lead me in prayer.

Come a little bit closer...Lord, I'm leaning on your love, unable to stand on my own. I am lost and alone. Lift me up. Come a little bit closer.

I remember the time...When you provided for me, when you came to me during my time of need. I remember the time and ask, "Are you willing to come, again, Lord?"

You held me in your arms, and you wanted to be mine...You pulled me close, enveloped yourself around me. You held my hand when I stepped from the boat. Now waves threaten to wash over me. Will you reach out your arm to me and be my God?

Everything good, everything gold, and now all that's left is a sweet memory. Father, may I remember your goodness. May my heart be grateful for the days of past provision. Help me to surrender my dreams, hopes and income to you. I recall the good and golden memories of your moments of power. Leave me with another sweet memory, Lord.

If you love me, let me know, why don't you show me which way to go. Wait, you say. Stop running, you whisper. "Be still and know that I am God," you shout from your Word. So I stop; I sit. I rest in you. Father, help me to move slowly, sleep soundly and find my joy in walking with you.

Please don't leave me all alone, cause I can't make it on my own. Lord, what does it mean to delight in you? Are you enough? Is your love strong enough to cast out the fear that seeps into my soul? "Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Lord, may I delight in you, alone.

I know when I see them swaying I can hear myself say, come a little bit closer. Father, forgive me for doubting in the Valley of Death. You have given me a spirit of faith, not fear. In my weakness I pull the covers of darkness over my head and yet I can still hear my heart saying, "Come a little bit closer, Lord. I need you to be mine. Come a little closer."

Song and setting do not make a thing sacred. God does. He who has ears, let him hear the voice of God calling: Come a little bit closer, child. Come a little bit closer.

Muddy Shoes - She Said, by Cindy Sproles
"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Exodus 3:5 (NIV)

"STOP!" I screamed. My boys came bounding through the front door, shoes thick with mud where they'd been playing on the bluff.

"Boys! Stop! Shoes! New carpet!" But it was too late. Four sets of twisted footprints stained the day-old carpet. Silence came over the boys as they slowly backed out of the living room door and onto the porch. I grabbed a sponge and carpet cleaner, then began to scrub. "Rats! Brand new carpet, ruined."

The storm door creaked open, "Okay Mom, our shoes are on the porch, can we come in now?"

I sighed. The damage was done. Muddy footprints everywhere. "Sure, head on up to the shower." They tiptoed past. An hour later, I was still scrubbing the red clay stain.

I rolled to my backside and leaned against the door. My new carpet was ruined. I wondered how God feels when I mess up His holy ground with muddy shoes.

I can't count the times I've bulldozed God's holy ground, too busy working to stop and pull off my dirty shoes. I've let things distract me, trampled His sacred place for me. And when it hits me - need Him--I burst through the door, muddy sandals and all, tracking up God's holy ground, staining it...ruining it. I'm demanding, selfish, and inconsiderate. After all, He'd been waiting for me, but I was too busy.

We're like that, aren't we? The most important thing is not what God holds as sacred but what we deem as immediate. In the times I've needed to take off my sandals and tiptoe into the presence of the Lord, I railroad through, never taking note He's prepared a time and place especially for me. Yet, when He stops me, pushes me back out the door, I have the audacity to ask why. Doesn't God want to be close to me? Doesn't He want me close to Him?

I'm learning a new way to approach my Father. I come to Him daily in the quiet of the morning, taking off my dirty shoes to meet Him on His terms. Maybe He'll see I've placed my mess outside long enough to come to Him...long enough to draw closer.

I've messed up things a lot, but His blood-stained ground covers my mud-covered footprints. So I plead to be closer, to be forgiven. And even when He makes me wait, He always welcomes me back. He'll welcome you too.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They host the popular He Said, She Said radio each Friday evening at 7 p.m. on He Said, She Said Radio! (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Need a guest speaker for your church or group? Eddie and Cindy make a great duo. They offer onsite Performance Speaking Engagements covering devotional writing, fiction writing, humor and overcoming obstacles in pursuit of your dreams. Through entertaining presentations they offer practical tips, powerful stories and educational materials that help individuals discover and develop their God-given gifts.

Contact them at: speaking@christiandevotions.us