The central issue of life, as revealed in the Scriptures, is that God is able to save. He confidently claims this power, presenting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as primary evidence that He can deliver us from sin and death. Those who are far from God may know about Him, but they lack the intimate relationship that allows them to truly know Him. They have not been drawn into the Family, remaining distant from His presence. In contrast, nearness to God brings fullness of joy and pleasures evermore, as expressed in Psalm 16:11. In His presence, there is vindication, fair judgment, justice, and power. Prayer serves as a vital means to access this nearness, enabling us to absorb His qualities and be conformed to His image. Sin separates us, creating distance, while righteousness draws us close to Him. This closeness is essential, for without it, we cannot become like He is. God has not yet opened the minds of many, ordaining them to stumble at this time, though their salvation lies in the future. However, for those called now, this is the day of salvation, a unique opportunity to respond to His call. He desires that none should perish, working tirelessly to accomplish His will for our salvation. We must choose to allow Him to lead us, recognizing that He is sovereign over His creation, with no one and nothing able to stand in His way.

During the time of King David, a severe famine struck the land of Israel for three years, year after year. When David finally inquired of the Lord, He answered that it was due to Saul and his bloodthirsty house, for they had killed the Gibeonites. This prolonged delay in seeking God's guidance reveals a period when David was far from God, not maintaining the spiritual vigilance he once had. His failure to promptly address the famine, a clear sign of divine displeasure as outlined in Leviticus 26, indicates that God was not in all his thoughts during this time. Had David been righteous and cried out to God sooner, as he expressed in Psalm 34, God would have heard and delivered him from this trouble. Instead, his spiritual distance affected his judgment profoundly. When the Gibeonites demanded retribution through the execution of seven of Saul's descendants, David did not consult God's law or seek divine counsel. He acquiesced to their demands without negotiation, allowing Gentile principles of vengeance to override the justice prescribed in God's statutes. There is little mention of God in this episode, except as the source of the famine, suggesting that David was spiritually sleepwalking through this crisis. His actions, or lack thereof, show a king distracted by worldly cares and personal turmoil, far from the close relationship with God that once defined his reign. Only after further delay and the natural cycle of rains returning did God heed the prayer for the land, indicating no miraculous intervention or approval of David's handling of the situation. This distance from God led to a resolution that left the land defiled and innocent blood shed, underscoring the consequences of being far from God's guidance.

Many today are far from God, their minds and hearts consumed by the material interests of this modern, materialistic world. We lack the power of the Holy Spirit, not because God denies us, but because we are so distant from Him, spending insufficient time in the study of His Word and in surrendered, submissive, earnest prayer. This distance results in a lack of faith, which is essential for receiving answers to our prayers and for salvation itself. To draw closer to God, we must prioritize prayer and surrender fully to His will, allowing us to experience the joyous connection with the spiritual realm that comes from true intimacy with Him.