SPIRITUAL DISTANCE

 “… They honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” Isaiah 29:13

Why would a miniser’s relation be downtrodden while this same minister ably delivers others outside his family? Why would a virtual participant be positively touched while those in his physical presence are left unimpacted? Could it be that one’s faith is stronger than the other’s? If ” YES “, how possible is it that those that are rather physically far from God’s servant can have stronger faith than those present in his immediate circle?

Beloved, the simple reason for all these oddies lies in ” SPIRITUAL DISTANCE “. Whereas PHYSICAL DISTANCE has to do with the space between physical bodies, SPIRITUAL DISTANCE refers to the distance between Spirits. The two do not yield same profit(s). One that is physically close but Spiritually far accesses only physical benefits from the other; the person that is spiritually close, whether physically present or not, stakeholds all things from his or her partner.

Now, to be spiritually close to another means to have an opened, loving and believing heart towards that person. Regardless of our physical closeness, we cannot impact one another when we’re Spiritually apart. This is why The Lord Jesus could not do MIRACLES in his own home. And when your worship comes from a heart that is far from Him, your physical presence notwithstanding, The Lord may not accept it (see opening scripture).

Remember how Essau and Jacob would antagonise each other, even while in their mother's womb? They were physically together but their Spirits (hearts) were far from each other’s. Yet John, the baptist, though physically separate from Baby Jesus, would leap in his Elizabeth’s womb, wishing to join The Lord in Mary’s womb on hearing of Him ! These two were Spiritually close to each other, although physically far or seperated. So you see, SPIRITUAL DISTANCE does not always correlate with PHYSICAL DISTANCE !

There were many surrounding The Lord yet only the woman with the issue of blood could pull such a virtue from His Spirit; while others were just physically present with Jesus, this woman, with an opened, trusting and believing heart, joined her Spirit to that of The Lord, so she received. She was physically and Spiritually close to The Lord! ( Luke 8:43-48 ).

Hannah always prayed about her childlessness but until she finally opened her heart and desirously poured out her Spirit unto God, she did not receive; her deep called unto the deep of God ! Her physical closeness never yielded her expectations, but Spiritual closeness did ! ( 1 Samuel 1: 9-28 & Psalm 42:7 ).

The founder and President of SLN once made a remarkable discovery explaining that Jesus might delay in visiting the dying Lazarus because the latter was spiritually far from Him, the Lord, even though they were physically close – the Spirit of a living Lazarus would oppose the ministrations of the Lord so it was better The Lord went after his friend died ! Would any of us like to tread that course? Certainly, No !

Indeed, we can be physically close to God’s servants, but let us rather know them after the Spirit – not after the flesh.( 2 Corinthians 5:16 ). Even, James suggests that we draw near God, but he expects that we do so through the Spirit because God is a Spirit too – James 4:8.That way, we would constantly benefit from the spiritual !

Beloved, it’s time we maximised our benefits from our walk with God and His servants. This, we can achieve by opening up the channel of our Spirit , even our hearts. Glory to God !