God is amazing and generous and merciful, but He expects us to meet Him halfway. The prodigal son needed to come back to his senses and return, then the father ran out and met him. When Jesus sent the disciples out to the countryside to preach the gospel, He said: Heal the sick there, and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you. (Luk 10:9)

We are responsible for making the move toward God. He brings the kingdom right up to us and waits to see what we will do with it. We ask so much of God. We want Him to heal and provide, but He is waiting for us to come to Him. He is not far off, He’s right here. All we have to do is embrace Him.

It’s baffling that the scribes and the pharisees failed to recognize the power of God demonstrated right in front of them. The kingdom of God literally came to them and they were blind to it. But we must be careful not to make the same mistake. Receiving a postcard from a far off country is not the same as living in that country. Knowing of God is not the same as knowing God.

When the kingdom of God comes near us, it’s our turn to move toward Him. And guess what, the kingdom of God is near us.