Draw Near to God
Zephaniah 3:2 She heeded no voice, She accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the LORD, She did not draw near to her God. NASB
A myriad of responses flood me when I read this passage: disdain, fear, frustration. But today I am overwhelmed by sorrow. Intense sorrow. This is a picture of real brokenness. I have seen this in others’ lives. I have seen it in mine. I have tasted and I have seen the trouble it brings.
It is never good.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. NASB
We need to come wanting to hear from Him, to accept His counsel, longing for His words. We sometimes come in pretense, not prepared to listen at all. Our hearts are not blank slates ready to be written on. They are filled with our own thoughts and predetermined counsels. We worship Him but do not make room for His word. According to the above verse, that is not good. In fact, it may be downright evil.
James 4:8 Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. The Message
I think that says clearly what God wants – “Quit playing the field.”
“Playing the field.” Doesn’t conjure up feelings of respect and admiration, does it? A woman who plays the field is not a picture of purity, devotion, and honor.
“Purify your inner life.” We’re getting to heart issues now. With Jesus, it always comes down to the heart, doesn’t it? If you were a husband, a lover, wouldn’t the heart matter to you?
“Say a quiet yes to God.” Just let go of preconceived notions. Let go. Acquiesce to His word. Show Him that you trust Him. Isn’t He trustworthy?
“Quit dabbling in sin.” Do we want to hear from Him or is there some sin that has won our hearts? Lay it down. Choose His word instead.
God speaks through His chosen people. He has given us so many faithful leaders. Listen to their words. Accept their authority in your life. It comes from God. This is a place of safety and well-being.
Read the Word. It is for you today. Apply the principles and find abundant life.
Walk by the Spirit. He will lead you. But you must come ready to hear.
Not heeding the voice of counsel, failing to accept instruction, not trusting in the Lord, not drawing near to God – this is a sorrowful picture. This is a life that is broken. And it need not be so.
posted by Darlene Sinclair at
7:14 AM
4 Comments:
Nice to meet you Mrs. Sinclair. My name is Laura. I used to live in Massena, but now I live in Indiana. This entry covers alot of important issues, and it's kind of difficult to think of anything to respond to it except- absolutely right. I need to learn to recognize when I'm not drawing near to God in my life, and when I'm not listening to Him. Certainly all that that can lead to is brokenness and sorrow.
Often times I "already know" what God has to say, and I chose not to liste. Like adam hiding in the garden knowing the Lord would be dissapointed. Or like the child who steals the cookie and hides behind a pillow thinking if they can't find him he won't get in trouble. I think to myself if the Lord chastens who he loves, I don't really need to get loved today. We all want that nice affirming love, but the only thing we love about the rod is when it gets put away. It seems easier to "cover" our sin with our own home made figleaf ensamble'. But true repentance and progress when we are covered by the Lord in the flesh of the "lamb".
I've been doing some reading in the Message version. It really bring a clear picture of the simplicity of God's Word. I love reading your blog - they're always fantastic!
Thinking of helping get things together. Yes. I was talking with people to see if a DVD was possible with the resources that were available. I'm not coming up with the right answers yet though, so you should keeping thinking of who might have the skill and equipment to pull it off. I am not able to do it myself (time, savvy equipment), but know it can be done, so I was just asking around to find out if anyone does know and try to recruit them for the task.
I am helping with sound and setting up a monitor for the green room.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home