Draw Near to God

Intro

These past few weeks have been amazing in the sense that God has blessed me and my family with the opportunity to take students to one of the greatest if not the greatest chirstian camps in the universe.

Word of Life Florida has been a huge part of my life and has been one of the biggest ministries that God has used to change my life and my wife’s life.

Rebekah and I met at Word of Life Florida

Fell in love as we fell in love with the Lord.

This is the place that God used to teach me that I need to draw near to him.

Now, I have had the blessing of taking students to this special place for the last couple of years and God has used it to bring students into His family.

He has blessed us this summer.

We got to witness life change. Death to Life! And now we have the opportunity and blessing to help this student grow in her new life with Christ and we get to help her learn how to draw near to God.

Which reminds me of a more recent story.

I love my kids and even though they drive me crazy sometimes they tend to teach me lessons ever so often about God and how awesome of a Father He is to us.

Yesterday I brought my kids P-Jellys as Ezra used to call them and I sat down on the floor and watched them as they scarfed down their food while they watched the Mario Movie. All of a sudden Jabez gets on the bed and jumps at me with all the faith in the world that I would catch Him. And as I proved to Him that I was going to catch him he started to jump with our reservations or hesitation to the point that he was diving as if he were diving into a pool. His face was filled with immense joy and laughter.

Wow! How I wish I can bottle up these moments. I cried as I wrote this thinking about what a fleeting moment this was.

That moment was so clearly God teaching me that He is a Father that will never drop me when I dive into his arms. If I draw near to him He will draw near to me. We have a great Heavenly Father that has loved us before we ever loved Him.

Scripture says in Mark 10:14-15

Mark 10:14–15 KJV 1900

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

I believe Jesus was pointing out the nature of children that we tend to lose as we grow older and thats the nature to trust easily and without reservation as well as the pure joy that children get at the wonders of God.

Jabez didnt question me before he jumped of the bed. He just did it. He didnt wonder if I would catch him. He just knew I would.

Why is it that we need to Draw near to Him?

Psalm 73:23–28 (KJV 1900)

23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand. 24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all thy works.

To remind us at we are not of this world and that the things of this world are fleeting.

We can get caught with the things of this world and forget the goodness of our God.

How many of us when life is “good” forget to spend time with God?

How many of us when life is busy forget to spend time with God? to draw near to God?

I’m guilty of that. I’m sure most of us have at one point have been guilty of that.

Also, we draw near to Him becasue it is good for us.

This past week I had the honor of serving in our first ever kids camp as a teacher/leader. I had the 4th and 5th grade group. The theme of the camp surrounded the question of what is church? what do we do here? why do we meet?

The first day I taught them that…we are the church

The second day I taught them that… we meet to to be encouraged, encourage one another, and if all those reasons aren't good enough becuase God says so because its good for us.

I ended that lesson by stating that God knows whats good for us just like their parents know what is good for them especially when they tell them to take medicine that they might not like or eating vegetables they might not enjoy.

So our good comes from our God

He is the oasis in the desert wasteland. Our life and sustenance come from Him.

Exodus 15:22–27 (LSB)

22 Then Moses had Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 And they came to Marah, but they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He set for them a statute and a judgment, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If you will earnestly listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, Yahweh, am your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

If we would draw near to the God that turned our bitterness into sweet eternal waters we will truly see that we are not walking in the wilderness but we are dwelling in the midst of the God who immortaly graceful, impartially merciful. He takes hopeless and adopts them as sons and daughters.

That’s my King. The one who promises to never let us go and is our rest and hope and peace.

God created us to be with Him

Psalm 100:3 LSB

3 Know that Yahweh, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Our sins separate us from God

Romans 3:23 LSB

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds

Isaiah 64:6 LSB

6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away.

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again

Romans 5:8 LSB

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life

John 3:16 LSB

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever

John 17:3 LSB

3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Psalm 23 (LSB)

A Psalm of David. 1 Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want (I lack nothing). 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.

Conclusion

I don’t know what you might be going through right now. Maybe life is going well for you right now - draw near to him.

Maybe its not - draw near to him

He is our good Shepard that gave his life for us. - Draw near to him.

We tend to draw near to things that don’t promise to give life but takes it away.

Matthew 6:33 LSB

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Draw near to Him for he is good.