Weekly Digest Vol 5. By: Omotayo Oni

Pace and Proximity: Closeness with God.

The tenacity of a lover to woo his object of affection comes with selfless grit, such that command insane and unimaginable things.
One of the most foolish and ridiculous things I've watched sane people do were things they do for love.
Every impression we show to people we love is a message of how much we care, admire and cherish them. What these impression aims to achieve is to create a closer intimacy and induce mutual passion.
Consequently, the closer the people we love come in love with us the more their actions matters to us, the more our expectations on them. Offenses weighs more based on the the level of proximity.
When two lovers aligned, tolerance and expectation strikes same equilibrium. If expectations are not met it creates offenses that over burden tolerance. Anger sometimes are natural response to these effects. Love overlook flaws and natural shortcomings but not offensive act or omission, such act or omission hurt based on the degree of proximity.
When someone throw stones at far distance at you it seldomly hurt but if the same stone was thrown at a closer range it cannot but hurt deeply. As much as we cherish closeness with lovers, the easier it becomes to be offended by their wrongs. We only get disappointed in people we have expectations on if the expectations are not met. A man who means nothing to you can barely hurt your feelings by any of his tendencies.
Love comes with anticipations, Anyone you deeply love holds the rod to hurt you in the same proportion. Such rod is traceable to your expectations on such one.
In like manner, God's dealing with his people has everything to do with the extent of our intimacy with him.
Ephesians 2:13-14 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”
God the Father of grace was unpleased with the granite wall of transgression that impede the fellowship between him and men.
God seek intimacy with men through his unfeigned love, this he achieved by satisfying his wrath on his own begotten Son that he might mend his relationship with us. The price God paid for love is huge, it wasn't an easy one on him. He mended the bridge back to his glorious family and will go extra miles to woo men in accepting his love.
When we accept God's invitation and draw closer to him. He set his heart before us through his word and expect us to reflect and reciprocate this love.
The closer we reach for God the more he unveil his nature and the more of his understanding is expected of us. When our actions contradict his ways he becomes disappointed with us. What God makes known to us is based on the level of intimacy he has with individual. The more of God we know determines the level of our exploits in the kingdom service.
 Psalmist remarked, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel”. (Ps 103:7). Likewise psalm 25:14 unveiled that “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he show them his covenant”. A man like Moses understood his ways not just his doings that is why God will not tolerate his offensive act against his simple instruction.
It is in our own interest to get close to God, but diligence is however required over negligence in aligning our lives with him. The abuse of proximity and frustration of love will not go down well in our relationship with God. Understanding God is key to our fellowship with him.
Love will pay any ridiculous price for what its eyes is set on, but having done all if expectation is not satisfied its passionate flames burns out leaving its object to the natural consequences of rejecting the outstretched offers.
Let's consider the overview of God's Word in Isaiah 5:1-7
“...My well-beloved hath a vineyard...he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes... judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?...And I will lay it waste:... I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it...For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel...”
Never delight in God's grace and mercies in isolation of his laws and expectations.
Grace is not lawless, as many as have took the grace of God for liberty to continue in sin and lawlessness will eventually met with God's wrath and vengeance. And for those who reject God will meet with damnable end for rejecting the only one route of salvation laid down for all humanity.

Omotayo Oni