Isaiah 65:1-2  “I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name.  I held out my hands all day long
to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;”

The human condition is beautifully and insightfully depicted in The Creation of Adam, part of the ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo.

First, notice God’s posture.  He is straining forward with every part of his body.  The angels appear to be anchoring Him from heaven, so He can lean out as far as He can.  His gaze is trained on Adam, and His finger is stretched out in earnest.

Adam, on the other hand, has an entirely different posture.  His body is in a relaxed pose, and his arm is almost half-heartedly reaching towards God.  And if he would just extend his finger, even slightly, he would be able to touch the finger of God.

How much effort have we been putting into reaching for God? Are our hands limp, like those of the passive Adam in the painting?  Or are they intentionally extended heavenward, in an attempt to close the distance between us and God?

Lord God, who reached out to us by becoming flesh and making His dwelling among us, out of Your fullness we receive grace upon grace.  Help us to respond by drawing nearer to You, with a sincere heart fully trusting You to receive us because we have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and because our bodies have been washed with pure water.  Amen. (Based on John 1: 14, Hebrews 10:22)