Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).

- Matthew 1:23

My friend claimed that he could bowl a 300 game. As a matter of fact, he said that every time he went bowling, he bowled a perfect game, 300.

I didn't believe it. So, we went bowling. I was shocked when he grabbed his ball, walked the length of the lane, and, standing three feet from the pins, threw the ball into the pins knocking them all down. Then, he confidently walked back up the lane.

I looked at the man and said, “you can't do that. That's a foul; you have to bowl from back here, behind this line...”

My friend looked at me and said, “that's silly. Why would I bowl from back here? Error increases with distance.” “Error increases with distance.”

I'll never forget that.

In Matthew 1:23, the bible says that in Christ, God came to “be with us.”

• Our God understood that error increases with distance.
• Our God knew the power of proximity.
• The Creator God became the Incarnate God because He understood the importance of proximity.

The longer I live, the more I see the importance of proximity. Life transformation does not happen from afar, life transformation happens from a distance of three feet.

One thing to remember today; “error increase with distance.” Who in your life should you draw near to? Your spouse? Your children? Your neighbor? Proximity is the key to healthy, thriving relationships.

God drew near to you because God knew life transformation happens three feet at a time.

Your prayer today, “God, I've been distant. Draw near to me and help me draw near to those that I love.”

Press on,
Pastor Harp