Dear Father, It just occurred to me that the story of the woman with the issue of blood, which teaches us about faith, also teaches us about proximity. For she had said, "If I may but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole." In several places around the world, we speak about her remarkable faith, but not as much do we speak about how this miracle took place after a touch. Today, I pondered various scenarios where proximity is an advantage in our dealings with You, and permit me the pleasure of saying that there are no instances where proximity becomes a burden rather than an advantage. In times when we need You and even when we feel self sufficient, in sickness and in health, or when we face the consequences of our sins and it seems as though You are far away, David knew better. After he had sinned greatly, he said, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD." I think about people who feel self sufficient and disregard the gathering of the brethren: loving You but hating church! I think of situations where our faith to receive from You does not mirror our proximity to You, or moments when the enemy convinces us that our sins are now beyond finding mercy. And I am reminded of how there is not a single case where proximity falls at a disadvantage. And I realized the device of the enemy: to steal the message of proximity and lay emphasis on self sufficiency, hurts, and our shortcomings. How can we enjoy this advantage if we do not leverage the privilege of proximity? Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #Proximity #faith #priviledge #advantages