Pastor column: Drawing near to God results in incredible blessings
James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” This scripture verse is a wonderful invitation from God to live in His presence. I want that, but where do I start?
First, start by making a firm decision to seek the Lord. David said, in Psalm 57:7, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.” The word “fixed” simply means “firmly in position.” Without this kind of determination, it’s doubtful any of us will seek the Lord long.
In Psalm 63, David wrote, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you” (vs. 1). How do you draw near to God? By making a firm decision to seek the Lord.
Secondly, make drawing near to God a priority. One power-principle Jesus taught was “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Where are your priorities? Our priorities are evident by what we actually do. Seek first, make it a priority or you will never really get it done!
So, we draw near to God seeking the Lord. Firmly decide to do it. Make it a priority and add accountability into the mix.
Third, Hebrews 10 says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith … hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (vs. 22-23). The two possible responses to “draw near” to God are: (1) We come to Him with “a true heart.” We must be “sincere” when we come to the Lord; (2) We come in “full assurance of faith.” This means we can come to God with the full assurance that He will receive us!
We are told to “hold fast the confession of our hope.” This means that we are to live out the covenant-promise God has made — “I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Hebrews 8:10). We “hold fast” because “He who promised is faithful!"
Fourth, continue with the process daily. My daily declaration: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:1-2). Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. That’s a command with a promise.
God’s calling you to draw near to Him. When you walk with God there are incredible blessings that come to both you and to God. Number one, God is glorified. Psalms 50:23 says, "Whoever offers praise glorifies Me."
Secondly, faith is fortified. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Finally, the soul is satisfied. Psalms 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Draw near to God. Will you? I Will!
Rev. J. Patrick Street is the lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Marion. He can be reached at coachpatstreet@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Make the decision to draw near to God and He will draw near to you
