Get a little closer.

 This weeks gospel Mark 1:7-11 John the Baptist is performing Baptism when he announces that Jesus is coming.  He says “'After me is coming someone who is more powerful than me” Soon after that, Jesus was baptized by John and as Jesus came out of the water a voice from heaven   says “'You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you.” Today I want you to think about what it means to have God’s favor rest on you. What does God’s favor mean to you? Does it mean always getting what you want? Does God’s favor mean that you don’t have hard times in life? I’d like to consider that God’s favor means nothing more than a close relationship that only you can have with God.  A direct link to your God that only you can understand.  I say this because in my opinion there is no greater gift  or favor that God can offer than a personal relationship with the him. Nothing on this earth can compare to what you get when you’re in relationship with the lord. A relationship that isn’t just about praying for things.  I’m talking about a relationship that involves learning and understanding  that God has a plan for your life and it is up to him how it unfolds. The beauty of this kind of favor is that God simply gives it to you.  You don’t need to to be perfect, or the worlds best Christian. You  just need to accept Christ in your life. 

I know of this young man that always seems to land on his feet.  Early last year before the pandemic kicked in,  he was let go from his job.   He had recently purchased a home. He had a wife and a young child to support and his job seemed secure. Well, all of that changed in instant.  All of his friends and family were in shock to hear that he was let go but   and they all offered to help him out if he needed. He refused to get help from anyone. This young  man was so confident that God wasn’t going to give him more than he was able to handle.  He never complained about losing his job. Not once did I hear him say that he was worried about his finances.  He had something special that kept him in good spirits. He had relationship with the lord. Most to this young mans life is devoted to having God at the center of his life.  He speaks to his friends, family and co workers about all of the wonderful things that the lord has done for him all the time.   He always speaks of the relationship that he has with the lord. Recently, I found out that is young man is doing better than ever. A little while ago a company called him in for  an interview shortly after  they hired him. He is now in a job that he wanted before he was let go from his previous job.  I won’t say that God magically got this young man his job.  What I will say is that when most people would have panicked  he maintained his relationship with the lord.  He never once doubted  (at least to me) that the lord was going to be there for him. 

I truly don’t believe that you can live a fulfilled Christian life if you don’t make time to get close to God.  A relationship with the lord brings you through life challenges with the right perspective. You  get to see that Gods’s work isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always exactly what you want but it is what you need. In the Gospel God reminded Jesus that Gods favor rested on him.  Some people say that God was  really speaking to Jesus’s onlookers. Maybe that was the case.  Maybe God does  displays what his  favor looks like to other people so they  can want the same for themselves. I can tell you that after seeing how this young man maintained faith in a dark time. I’d like to get a little closer to the lord myself.  How about you? How much better can your relationship with the lord get?