God Drawing Near… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14).
How can this be that God would leave glory and bring His glory to earth? Can the human mind fully comprehend His depth of love and outpouring of compassion? The sacredness of our Savior’s birth can easily get lost in the commercialism of the Christmas season. He dwelt with us on earth so that we could dwell with Him now and forever more in heaven.
Are you grateful that the Almighty draws near to His creation, even when the created ones avoid His advances? Indeed, His holy love is relentless to reach out to those who reject Him and to those who have been rejected. He draws near to the nobody’s, the somebody’s, the atheist’s, the almost Christians, the new Christians, the backslidden Christians and the Christians who are growing in grace. However, distance brings distrust, “She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God” (Zephaniah 3:2). So draw near and your faith will flourish.
The simple act of drawing near to the Lord does what the law never could, “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:18-19). God replaces guilt with hope and performance with acceptance. Close proximity to Christ produces enduring faith, patient love and encouraging hope.
So are you drawing near to your Heavenly as He draws near to you? Do you allow Him to get up close and personal in your character, your choices and your convictions? There is no downside to drawing near to God. He’s got your back, your front and both sides. You draw near and there is no fear. You draw near and there is peace and forgiveness. You draw near and get the sense that everything is ok, because He is ok and in control.
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience…” (Hebrews 10:22a).
Do I allow the Lord to draw near to my heart, mind and soul? Do I reciprocate by drawing near to Him in faith, worship, confession, repentance and thanksgiving?
Related Readings: Isaiah 7:14; 51:5; Luke 21:28; Hebrews 10:1
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?
How will I respond?
