To Encourage You

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

The verse above talks about a condition of being near to God. Have you ever wondered what that might be like? Is it something about which you are interested?

One of the effects of the sin that has touched every life is a lack of desire to be near God. We know this when we see the sudden change that came upon Adam and Eve after the first sin. Before that moment they had been in communion with Him, but the first thing they did after they had sinned was to hide themselves from Him (Genesis 3:8). What a futile effort this was – to hide from the omnipresent God who sees all.

In human relationships, we can be in the same room physically with another person, yet have no relationship at all with them. There is no “closeness” in that sense. It is much the same way with God, i.e., the fact that He is everywhere doesn’t mean we are necessarily “near” Him in a relational sense.

So, how does one draw close in relationship with this awesome Being, the One who is everywhere but Whom no one has ever seen (John 1:18)? Well, for one, we must realize that God has given us a promise. It’s a promise about which He has set the terms. And what are those terms? Well, in the verse above He tells us. He says all we need to do is to “draw near” to Him. But how in the world do we do THAT? How do you draw near to someone you can’t even see? And so we must look a little closer.

How exactly do you do this? What does the Bible say? Well for one, we need a way. What is the way someone draws near to God? The answer? The Bible is clear that the Way is a person. It’s the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus told us this in John 14:6 when He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It as we enter into a relationship with Jesus by putting our faith in Him that the way is opened up for us for a personal relationship with God and we are given the right to enter into His very throne room. One of the things that happened during Jesus’ death on the cross was that the curtain that covered the most holy place in the temple, the place that represented God’s dwelling place on earth, was miraculously torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). With this event, God was telling the world that now “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19:21). And so we can approach Him. We can go before His very throne and talk to Him by way of our prayers.

Another way we draw near to God is to read what He has told us about Himself in His Word. But, again, if we’ve never placed our faith in Christ, the Bible will be a mystery to us. God has told us about another curtain – a veil that covers the hearts of all who have never approached Him by the Way that He has provided for us. We are told about this in the story of Moses, who, after God had given Him His Law, had to place a veil over his face to hide the glorious shining of his face. The people were afraid to look at him. And so, today, the Law of God that was given through Moses and the other prophets and apostles of God is a fearful thing for those who have never been saved, for it condemns them. It speaks against them for they have violated that Law, and “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). This problem, and the remedy for it, is provided for us in 2 Corinthians 3:13-18 where it says, “Moses . . . would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because ONLY THROUGH CHRIST IS IT TAKEN AWAY. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. BUT WHEN ONE TURNS TO THE LORD THE VEIL IS REMOVED. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” It’s talking about coming near to God by peering into His Word and His wonderful response of drawing near to us as He speaks to us through it.

And there are other ways to “draw near.” We do it when we fellowship with other believers, for God has told us that His followers are the very “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27). As those members of the body interact with one another and use their gifts to encourage one another and build each other up, it is God Who is working through them to do so. It’s just one more of the ways He has ordained to draw near to us as we draw near to Him.

So, are you doing these things? Have you drawn near to the Father through the Way that He has given us? Are you drawing near to Him by entering His throne room in prayer? Are you reading His Word so He can speak to you and tell you Who He is? And are you part of the fellowship of His Body? Are you drawing near to Him in the Church? If so, He has promised you on the authority of His Word that He will draw near to you. And you’ll know if it’s happening, for if you are drawing near to Him, His very glory will touch your life. You’ll be like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who, after the resurrected Christ had drawn near to them and spoken, said “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32).  It’s the burning heart of those to whom Christ has drawn near. It’s His promise to each and every one of us if we won’t ignore Him, turn away from Him, or even hide from Him – but rather, if we will turn to Him and draw near.