“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a (NKJV)

“I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and it told thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to thee. Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious, bleeding side.” Fanny J. Crosby, 1875. The verse and refrain of this classic 19th century hymn should echo the sentiments of some if not all of those who desire to know the Lord in the most passionate and intimate way. Most importantly, if that is your desire, how do you get there and what is it that you must do? There is a popular opinion that has grown into a theology that has turned our relationship with God and drawing closer to Him from a matter of faith to a formula of do’s and don’ts. If we do A, B, and C then we will get D. The sad thing about this approach is that many times the formula is more of a fad that has absolutely nothing to do with the word of God or our faith in Him whatsoever.

In order to draw nearer to God we must understand how our relationship with Him was originated. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NKJV) We did not have the capacity to know God in a most intimate way. We were deeply stained in sin after the similitude of Adam and Eve, without hope, and on our way to hell but God loved us enough to let Jesus die for us. That was countless years before we even thought about accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. There is no greater love known to man. Perhaps the Apostle John said it best when he said, “We love Him because He first loved us.” I John 4:19 (NKJV) God loved us through the vicarious death of His son on our behalf in spite of what He knew about us. Now that’s love.

When we seek to draw nearer to God it is generally because we have become distant and estranged in our relationship with Him. While it may appear that He has left us, in reality we have left Him and allowed ourselves to drift aimlessly away from intimate fellowship with Him. It is often a result of sin and the intense struggle that we have in our flesh. At other times it is a matter of misplaced priorities where we have placed the most important relationship that we will ever encounter on the backburner only to be sought after under emergency circumstances. Then there is the issue of an apathetic spirit that converges upon us during our greatest time of weakness and vulnerability. It renders us with a lack of desire ultimately quenching the flames of passion that once burned so deeply within our heart for God.

God is right where He has always been. He never leaves us under any circumstances; no matter how far we may be from Him. If distance has grown between God and us one thing is certain, God has not moved. Now is the time to pursue an intimate love relationship with God. It is the only relationship that is 100% true without flaw, failure, or foolishness. His relationship with us is fully reciprocating. When we draw near to Him, He will in turn draw near to us. There can be no peace in our lives unless we do so, for the heart that has truly been redeemed longs for communion with our loving and longsuffering Heavenly Father. “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 your works.” Psalm 73:28 (NKJV)