As we draw nearer to the close of 2025, my heart has been reflecting on what truly matters most, our closeness to the Lord. In the middle of a full and busy week, God used a simple moment in my home to remind me of the importance of staying connected to Him.

My husband, Joel, had been away on a work trip and was due home on Friday evening. The children and I waited eagerly for his return. We didn’t know the exact time he would arrive; he had only messaged to say he had landed. The lift in our building went up and down several times, each time stirring a little hope, a little expectation.
Then something remarkable happened.

Judah, our son, suddenly stood up from the dining table and walked to the front door, waiting beside the lift. The lift wasn’t even moving. Our daughter Sairah ran after him and said, almost confused, “The lift isn’t even moving.”
But within seconds, it did.
The lift rose to our floor, the doors opened, and Joel stepped out. Judah had somehow sensed his father’s presence before there was any visible sign. It was as though there was a quiet, invisible thread between them, a bond beyond words or logic.

That moment stayed with me. Judah’s heart was so attuned to his father that he could feel his nearness even without evidence. And it made me pause.

Is my heart that sensitive to the presence of my heavenly Father?
Do I long for Him with that same childlike eagerness and joy?

Judah’s anticipation reminded me of the hunger and readiness we are called to have for the Lord, an eagerness not rooted in fear or obligation but in love and delight.
Just as Judah stood waiting before the lift moved, faith often requires us to stand in expectancy before anything visibly shifts. His posture was not based on sight but on relationship.

In the same way, our walk with God is often marked by moments where nothing “seems to be moving,” yet our spirit can sense His nearness.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). Relationship produces recognition. Love produces sensitivity. Proximity produces discernment.

When our hearts grow attuned to Him, we recognise His presence even before circumstances catch up.

Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.”

As we close this year, may this be our prayer:
Lord, tune my heart to recognise Your presence, hunger for Your nearness, and delight in You above all else.

Consider This: Three Things to Do Before the Year Ends Posture Your Heart in Expectancy Like Judah, stand at the “door” even when nothing looks like it’s moving. Set time apart to simply wait on the Lord, silently, without agenda. Expect His nearness. Spend time in Scripture, worship, or quiet reflection. The more you draw near, the more clearly you recognise His voice and presence. Celebrate His Presence With Joy When you sense God’s nearness, through a whisper, a Scripture, a moment of peace, respond with praise. Joy strengthens sensitivity.