God at a Distance - Martin Wiles

But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:8 NLT

Sitting silently, it waited to be picked up to talk to people who were far away. 

Telephones have changed drastically during my lifetime. The first phone I remember was solid black with only a receiver and perched on my grandmother’s buffet in her dining room. To make a call, I picked up the receiver and, if no one was talking, waited for the operator’s assistance. This was called a party line. 

The next phone looked similar but had a dial so I could place my call without the operator’s help. Then the push button phone arrived. The cordless phone followed. Now I wasn’t bound by a cord and could move about while talking. Finally, cellular phones revolutionized communication. I could talk while traveling. Presently, I can carry my phone (computer) with me anywhere I go. Distance is no longer an issue.

While distance was once a problem when placing calls, it never has been for God. This Roman officer knew this long before the idea of communicating by phone ever entered an inventor’s mind. His servant was paralyzed and needed healing. He approached Jesus who offered to come to his house and heal the servant. The officer suggested Jesus do it long distance. Jesus was amazed at his faith.  

Sometimes I forget distance isn’t a problem for God. I imagine when praying that my prayers drift up to heaven and then vie for God’s attention—among the millions of others being offered at the exact moment. Then God has to schedule when he’ll take care of mine. And I wait. 

To begin with, God is Spirit and omnipresent. He’s not bound by time and is everywhere at the same time. He can hear my prayers and millions more at the exact time and in the same moment. He isn’t confined by chronos time but operates in kairos time. While he can answer my prayer from a distance, from God’s perspective distance is never what I perceive it to be. He is as close as the breath I breathe to utter my request. 

God is never too busy or far away to answer your prayers and supplications. Go to him often, believing he will answer any prayer made in faith. 

Prayer: Father, we thank You for being as close as the air we breathe and for Your willingness to answer our prayers.

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