Drawing Near to God
For the last couple of weeks, this Family Life Tuesday message focused on the journey that we take in our Bible study. God clearly provided us with a message that demands consistent, purposeful time and effort. Our journey is about much more than academically understanding right from wrong and memorizing a few facts. Our heavenly Father aims to transform our minds and our hearts. Heart conviction is not synonymous with intellectual understanding. Hopefully, within our regular study of God’s word, these two concepts work harmoniously with one another. Today will be one final attempt to persuade you of the importance of the journey.
Notice the reciprocal promise in James 4.8. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” How do we draw near to God in Bible study? Among other necessities in the concept of drawing near, one needed component is time. While I appreciate and understand the sentiment, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I respectfully disagree with this motto when it comes to relationships. Sure, after certain relationships are well established, complete separation may not affect emotional attachment. However, this is the exception and not the rule.
The church comes together to collectively worship God in a very special way every Sunday. We glorify Him in song, open our hearts in prayer, and remember Jesus through the Lord’s Supper. Still, we would be foolish to think that our love for God will flourish if our emotional connection to Him is dependent on this alone. Imagine attempting to build a relationship with your children or spouse while emotionally engaged only one or two hours per week. Sometimes life puts people in those situations, but this is certainly not ideal. We draw closer to God by engaging our hearts and minds in continual interaction through prayer, meditation on His word that He left for us, practical service in His kingdom, and mutual strengthening with other Christians. Either of these, left undone, will hinder one’s attempt to truly come to know God.
Every day is an opportunity to spend time with your heavenly Father in one of the unique ways that He has chosen – reading and meditating on his word. I encourage you not to neglect this wonderful privilege to come to know your Father more each day. However, there is another practical reason to grow closer to God. It is the foundation for everything that we do as Christians. It is the difference between a model of Christianity that feels like a burden, and a model that sets one free, provides rest for the weary, and leads to an abundant and fulfilled life. Family life in the church is ultimately about the actions of God’s children in relation to their Father in His kingdom. In Christianity, it is truly the journey that matters.