DRAWING NEAR TO GOD by John Belt

Hebrews 10:38“Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”

Just how important is it for us to draw near to God? When we draw near to God it shows that we believe that He is the answer to all things that concern us. The Word of God says that God has no pleasure in those that “draw back”. At the core of who we are there must be something in us that always causes us to draw close to God. If this is missing from our lives there is something that needs adjusted in regards to our perception and understanding of God’s nature and Who He is to us.  When we understand that God is good, that He only has good in store for us and is unrelenting in His pursuit for His best for our lives we will run to Him.  This does not mean He makes everything easy.  Jesus did not have it “easy”.  He dealt with all kinds of opposition.  God knows what is best for us.  Heading the other direction just reveals that we really don’t know and trust Him as we ought.  Part of the process is to look deeper at our own hearts with honesty.

Jesus taught that the Word of God is sown in different types of soil and the result is different depending on the soil sown into, so we need to examine the soil of our hearts to see if there is anything in us that is not allowing the Word of God to take root.

Luke 8:11-15
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

We find keys in this verse in regards to having soil that is seasoned for the Word to take root in our hearts. It says a “noble and good” heart. To be noble means to be “honest”. It takes honesty for the Word of God to penetrate our hearts. If we are not honest in our assessment of what God is showing us in His truth then we open our hearts to deception. The Word of God gives light and understanding to us. When that light comes we need to let it go deep. Secondly, a good heart is to be “agreeable” to what God is saying. Having these two elements creates a heart that will constantly turn to God, drawing near to Him. When we harden our hearts we turn away from God in disagreement. That was the problem the children of Israel had as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They kept hardening their heart to God’s will through unbelief. When we are honest with God and to ourselves, coming into agreement and alignment with His truth, then we are drawing near to Him purifying our hearts by submitting to Him.

James 4:7-8
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded…”

Submit to God, resist the devil and he must flee. Obviously if we don’t submit to God in agreement with His truth then we open the door to evil. Our submission to God shuts the door to the devil and His truth sets us free.

Make a commitment to sow the good Word of God in your heart today with an honest and agreeable spirit, welcoming the Holy Spirit to water it producing fruit that abounds to eternity.