DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

"It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works." (Psalm 73:28)

It is a conscious choice to draw near to God. It does not happen by accident. It is a purposeful act of putting myself in a position that is close to God.

We sing the song, "Draw Me Nearer," and it is true that we would never come to God unless He called us to Himself. We were invited and drawn by the Holy Spirit. He does desire close fellowship with us.

Here is the irony of the issue. James wrote, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). We choose to draw close to God, and He wants to be near to us. But He does not force us to draw near to Him. It is our choice. We have to take the time and effort to spend time with Him.

James explained how to draw near to God in the following verses: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (verses 8-10). Coming into God's presence requires that we humble ourselves before Him, with a pure heart, confessing our sin.

The Psalmist put it this way: "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…." (Psalm 24:3-4a).

It is an affront to God's holiness to come into His presence with known sin in our lives. If we want to draw near to Him, it must be on His terms, not ours. And His terms are purity and holiness.

We can come boldly to the throne of grace when we know that our hearts are clean. That only happens as the Psalmist said, "I have put my trust in the LORD God," not in how good I am. That said, it is a conscious act of desiring to draw near to God that will cause me to spend time in His presence in prayer and His Word.

Love, Dad