Wednesday, December 13

DRAW ME NEARER

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22)  There are many passages in the Scriptures that focus on drawing nearer to God.  I’m not talking about just something that the “bad people” need or those people that have left the faith and are obviously very far from God.  What I’m talking about here stems from a desire to really know God.  I’m talking about taking a step back in life, and realizing that you just can’t do everything in your own strength.  You’re not content with being a mediocre Christian, and you’re not satisfied with only sinning less.  You may find that you’re just trudging along in life, sometimes calling on the name of the Lord, but not really making any headway.  You wonder, “Why do these sins keep popping up?  Why do I feel empty sometimes?  Why do I feel alone?  Where is the love that I once knew?  Why do I sometimes feel out of tune with God?”  If this describes you, then this song is for you.  I could list many Scriptures for you that tell you to draw near to God, and then we could have a lengthy discussion on the steps to take towards that goal, but I think that today, God would like for us to just start with a simple prayer: “Draw me nearer.”  It’s short and sweet, but if you really mean it from your heart, then it is a very powerful request.

John wrote in his first epistle, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.  Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” (1 Jn 3:6)  Why then are we often content to sin less?  Sin is separation from God…even just a little one.  I don’t want a big separation from God; nor do I want a little one.  Draw me nearer, Lord.  I have heard God’s call in the past and have come and now I am His.  But I want to have my faith strengthened daily, and be even closer to God.  Even if you are already a Christian, please know that God wants to draw you even nearer into the center of His heart so that you might know even more of the fullness of His Love.  The winds of the world so easily pull at us to tear us away from God.  The psalmist wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Ps. 16:8)  Think of that!  I shall NOT be moved—because I am near to His heart.  Draw me nearer, Lord.

Life is so busy and it is so easy to want to live for myself and the pleasures that I can find in life.  Is that really fulfilling?  Ask yourself that.  Can I say with Fanny Crosby, “Oh, the pure delight of a single hour that before thy throne I spend…”?  Which hours bring the most delight…the ones lived for me or the ones before God?  Draw me nearer.  I want to be consecrated to God’s service.  In my own direction, my life has gone nowhere, maybe even occasionally derailed by collisions with others also going in their own directions.  I picture life sometimes as a bumper car rink.  Everyone is going all different directions—all for their own benefit.  We often crash into each other and we get jolted.  It’s a mess.  This is not God’s way!  He calls us to His Way—all going one direction—seeking Him—helping one another in Love, not hurting one another.  In recent months I have often not known love, peace, or joy in my heart, but I must put hindrances behind me and believe that with God before me, I shall not be moved.  Maybe I won’t know the deepest depths of love and joy until I am in Heaven, but I can rest in peace with Him now and know His heart.  I believe that He has a big portion of His Spirit for me now and I pray that He will teach me how to love and fill me with joy.  Those that hurt, those that hinder, step aside!!  You can’t move me from God anymore!  God, draw me nearer!

~ Joel Warren