Drawing Nearer

We are here at God's pleasure. Our times are in His hand. He determines the quantity of our days; our choices and obedience determine the quality of our days. Although our choices of lifestyle, exercise, diet, entertainment, etc., have an effect on some parts of our life, quality of life is more than issues of health, wealth, and status. Quality is measured by fellowship in the Spirit; fellowship with the Father, with the Son, and with the Body of believers.

1 Peter 1
v.13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
v.14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
v.17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

God calls us to active training during our days here, in preparation for what is to come in eternity. While we are here, we need to practice the right mind-set and the correct heart-focus. Then, whether we find ourselves in better physical circumstances or worse, we can show forth God's truth, both in sickness and in health, and whether we are richer or poorer, those around us will know that He is our true love and has our faithful trust and obedience.

2 Corinthians 3:3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

Any training, even in an area of interest, can range from boredom to pain. If we feel we already know the issue the instructor is going over, it can be difficult to keep our attention from wandering. However, what the Spirit of God takes us through is for a purpose and has the goal of doing us good.

Hebrews 2:1 It is necessary for us to pay more attention to what we have heard, or else we may drift away from it.

Engraving the word in our hearts requires cutting away the flesh, or circumcision. Of course, we don't take a knife and cut into the beating heart in our chests. Spiritually speaking, though, when we choose to obey the word of God, which is described as being sharper than a sword, we will turn away from our natural tendencies or habits and by persistence in obedience we will develop new habits, causing us to break the old ones, "dying" to ourselves. 

1 Peter 1
v.22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
v.23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

If the issues and processes we are being walked through are totally foreign to us, the stretching and exercising in new areas may prove difficult, awkward, and even painful. It is easier at times to think, "No, I won't try to do such-and-such right now even though I feel God wants me to do. I might do it wrong and bring reproach to God." Actually, we mean, "I might do it wrong and embarrass myself." When we look at the things that have been done in His name in the past and realize He is still in business while those people are not, we can understand He is big enough to survive anything we may do.

1 Peter 2
v.9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
v.10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

God does not demand that we be perfect, only that we be holy. Tradition has defined holiness in terms of outward behavior and appearance, but God does not pay attention to those things when He looks on us. All God asks is that we be wholly dedicated to Him. He does not care how far away we are, He only asks that we reach for Him, hunger for Him, want to be nearer to Him. If we keep our faces, our hearts, our thoughts turned to God, then our steps, our choices, our changes will move us closer to God. 

Luke 6
v.27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 
v.28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 
v.29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 
v.30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back."

Can there be anything more difficult to imagine doing? But if we see someone doing it, don't we marvel and say, "Surely that person has spent time in God's presence!" Let's go and do likewise -- there's a place we can sit at His feet.

Lord Jesus, thank You for having open enrollment in Your classes. Thank You that there is always room at Your feet to learn. Thank You that You teach us the most when we are at the foot of the cross, but that the class does not stop there. Thank You that the class goes right on to the empty tomb and leads us to receive from You as You are seated on the throne. We study to show ourselves approved, Lord, and we choose to dwell in Your Spirit as we walk through the day. Meet us where the rubber meets the road and be our GPS as we seek to do the assignments You give us. We love You, Lord!

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