Draw Near To God--1

    James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Can you think of a statement more precious and wonderful than that? What a marvelous blessing it is to know that if one will move towards God, then God in turn will move towards the one who wants to be near Him. Drawing near to God means coming closer to Him, approaching His presence, coming under His influence. Drawing near to God opens up the possibility of being in His presence and experiencing safety, peace, happiness, and intimacy with deity, contentment and so many other spiritual blessings.

     For good reason we sing “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. There is a place of comfort sweet, near to the heart of God, a place where we our Savior meet, near to the heart of God. There is a place of full release, near to the heart of God, a place where all is joy and peace, near to the heart of God.”

    But where is God? Where is He to be found? If one is to draw near to Him one must know where he can be located. This is the first of four articles about drawing near to God where He is. This first article is about finding God in His creation. The articles to follow will be about finding God in His word; finding God in the Church, i.e. His people; and finding God in heaven, His dwelling place.

    God can be found in His creation. Romans 1:20 says, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” One who observes the physical world and fails to find God misses one of the fundamental, essential truths of the universe. This world is not the result of some accidental, cataclysmic phenomenon. The beauty, the combination of simplicity and complexity working hand in hand, the order, the variety, the connectedness, the resources, the richness, and even the sometimes devastating power displayed in the forces of nature all speak to the working of a divine presence. How can one miss this truth?

    “This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.” Is this what happens within you when you consider the world in which you live? We draw near to God when we attend our ears to what the creation is telling us about the Creator. “This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought of rocks, of skies and seas-His hand the wonders wrought. This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise, the morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise. This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair; in the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me ev’ry where.” Look around you. Everywhere you look you will find a message from God. He is saying that He is real, He is powerful, He is kind and thoughtful, and He wants you to draw near to Him.

   God can be found in His creation. One draws near to Him by listening to and acknowledging what the very creation itself openly asserts about the one who spoke it all into existence. Truly “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1) 

An All-Seeing Eye

     “The Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence…For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” Psalm 11:4-5, 7

     “The Lord is in his holy temple.” How that thought must have comforted David! Reflecting upon that great truth took a situation that seemed impossible to overcome and reminded David that Saul was not ultimately in charge, God was! Saul could rampage and threaten, he could set the entire nation on David, yet God had plans for David that no man could nullify. Saul was not fighting against David, he was fighting against God. 

     Every step that both David and Saul made was carefully observed and weighed by God. Every prayer and demonstration of faith from David was noted and considered. Every time Saul cursed David or committed violence in a murderous rage, God was watching. God loved David because of David’s faith. He demonstrated a heart that God approved of, saying that it was even a heart similar to His own (1 Samuel 13:13-14). For that reason God protected him. Yet Saul became as wicked as David was righteous. His jealous, ungodly heart even moved him to commit an atrocious crime by having the priests of the city of Nob along with their families executed (1 Samuel 22:6-23). 

     David stated in verse 5 of our psalm that God tests the children of men. Viewing it through that prism it is easy to see that while David passed this test of faith with flying colors, Saul failed it just as thoroughly. After such a promising beginning Saul transformed into the very thing David reminds us that God hates—a wicked person who falls in love with violence. Sadly, that description pretty well sums up the final years of Saul’s life.

   David concludes this wonderful psalm with a powerful statement of encouragement. I have no doubt that he was reminding himself of God’s great love for righteousness and all His wonderful promises to the faithful. As bad as things appeared to be David was buoyed by the knowledge that his trusting faith would result in seeing the face of God. That wonderful promise still stands for the righteous!

Fight Or Flight?

     “In the Lord I rake refuge; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”Psalm 11:1-3

     The situation described in these verses is frightening, isn’t it? David’s friends and advisor’s stand next to him as they survey the landscape. Things look bleak indeed. If, as many believe, this psalm was written during the time of Saul’s reign when his hatred and jealousy toward David was reaching epic levels then it is very easy to see just how dark things appeared to those who had hitched their wagon to David.

     They tell him that it’s time to abandon ship. They tell him to take a lesson from the birds. Birds certainly don’t hang around when troubles approaches, but spread their wings and fly to a place of safety. They tell David to look around him and see the wicked men aligning themselves against him. It is as though they already have the bow drawn fully and are cunningly hidden in the dark ready to fire upon him from he knows not where. They would also have David know that he has no reason to expect help to come from within Saul’s government. After all, the foundations of justice have been destroyed through Saul’s poor leadership and single-minded focus on murdering David. Were folks advising David today they might say, “David, your enemies are everywhere and they have their guns loaded with fingers on the trigger. The powers that be, including law enforcement, have grown corrupt and the most powerful man in the nation hates you and wants you dead. The time has come to pack your bags and get out of dodge. Abandon hope for it has certainly abandoned you.”

     Yet David began the psalm by asking his friends (and perhaps his own heart) how they could say that he needs to flee? How could they tell him to run away? One might say that the answer seems obvious, but it is to the person who takes his refuge in God. Some problems cannot be bypassed but must be traveled through. David knew that God had plans for him in Israel so he wasn’t leaving. However, there was no way he was getting through this situation without God. So David did what David always seemed to do: he put all of his trust and faith in the One who was infinitely more powerful than Saul and everyone else. He trusted God to be his refuge. May you and I possess such commitment and faith!  

The False Security Of The Wicked

     “Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, ‘You will not call to account?’  But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands…” Psalm 10:13-14

     One would have been hard pressed to find a nation that was more favorably situated than Edom. Their cities were high upon the mountains and nearly impossible to attack (Obadiah 1:3), they were very wealthy (Obadiah 1:6), they had many friends (Obadiah 1:7), they were known for their great wisdom (Obadiah 1:8), and they were mighty in war (Obadiah 1:9). They were also exceedingly wicked (Obadiah 1:10-18). 

   I encourage you to take a moment to consider the verses referenced above. Did you notice how God took every reason for their arrogance and used it against them? None could reach their heights? God would see them brought down. They gloried in their wealth? God would see them pillaged. They boasted in their wisdom? God would remove it. They were confident in their mighty warriors? God would see them dismayed. God ultimately destroyed everything Edom glorified in and felt secure because of. Being a brother to Jacob they undoubtedly knew God. However, they responded to Him precisely as the psalmist described in Psalm 10:13. They renounced God and confidently asserted that He would never call them into account. The fact that they no longer exist demonstrates the folly of their conclusions.

     The simple truth is that there is no reason for the ungodly to ever feel secure. They may build their cities upon the highest mountains, accumulate great wealth, build massive walls, recruit the wisest, and train the mightiest. If they renounce God they will be destroyed (Psalm 2). Should they be permitted to live a full life and never have to answer for their actions while living, things will change the very moment after their deaths (Luke 16:22-23). God’s people should take great comfort in knowing that God does indeed see the behavior of the wicked and judges it accordingly. He knows when the wicked do violence to the righteous and He will call them into account for it in His time. When He does He will “break the arm of the wicked and evildoer” (10:15). 

When God Delays

     “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Psalm 10:1

      One of the most difficult times for faithful saints is when trouble strikes and God does not immediately come to their aid. In the case of the psalmist he compared it to God hiding when He was needed most. This becomes especially troubling when evil seems to be entirely unfettered to run rampant, even trampling good people striving to remain faithful to their God. Why doesn’t God destroy all evil right now? Why does God allow wickedness not just to exist, but also prosper?

     History is replete with instances of God sending His terrible “days of the Lord” upon wicked nations and people. Where are the wicked empires of Babylon, Persia, and Rome? They each faced their days of God’s wrath and faded into the dusty annuls of history because of it. Yet many faithful people were forced to suffer tremendously during their wicked, tyrannical reigns. Undoubtedly those hurting souls poured their hearts out before God on a daily basis asking why He permitted such wickedness to exist. Take a moment to read the three short chapters of Habakkuk to see an extraordinarily faithful man taking these very questions directly to God.

     When God delays there are certain things we need to keep in the forefront of our minds:

     -God, in His unsearchable wisdom, acts in His time (Eccl. 3:11; 1 Timothy 6:15)

    -God’s delays do not mean He has answered “no” to our prayers. 

    -One cannot claim to have lasting faith until that faith has been tested.           God’s delays provide the testing grounds (Hebrews 12:3-7).

    -God loves His children and will never allow them to be tried beyond their ability to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

   -The ultimate reward for perseverance is far beyond description (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

     So take heart!  When God acts it is always to the benefit of His people!        

They Are But Men

    “Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men!” Psalm 9:19-20

    Do you know what Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill all had in common? They were only men. They were singular in their talents and accomplishments, they stood above their contemporaries in terms of influence and power, and in many ways they shaped the course of events in this world to a greater or lesser degree. As you know there are other individuals, people of supreme talent and drive, who could be added to this list. Yet in the end they are all but men and nothing more.

    The day will come when even the “greatest” among us will stand still and silent to be judged by One infinitely greater. “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:10b-12) 

     In the great and final Day of the Lord, when all are called to appear at the Judgment Seat of the Lord Himself, everyone will be called to attend. The world-shaping people of nearly immeasurable influence will be there, knees bowed and mouths closed. Presidents, Prime-Ministers, Emperors, Pharaohs, Kings, Queens, Czars, and every great leader who has ever lived will stand before the Creator of all things to receive their final, eternal judgment. The Judge will not be hearing arguments or scheduling appeals. All of the power and influence they wielded in life will be accounted as nothing before the One possessing all power and influence. If they never knew it in life they will know it then: they were but men.

     Respect those to whom respect is due and be subject to those who wield authority (Romans 13:1-7). After all, they would have none were God not permitting it (Daniel 5:28-32). Yet remember, they are but men and will be judged by God just as we will. God is God and man is man. We must never allow that distinction to blur.      

Recounting the deeds of the Lord

   “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

   Most of us have our favorite figures from history, men and women who shaped the world through their courage, brilliance, tenacity, and drive. Whether they were soldiers, scholars, teachers, or humanitarians they all had a combination of those four traits in common. Sometimes we like to read their biographies to keep their deeds fresh in our minds. Perhaps we even memorize a few of their quotes to encourage us throughout our days and to help us live a bit more like them.

    Doubtless David also had individuals from the past that he looked up to. It is not hard to imagine him considering the faith of men like Abraham and Moses through the difficult circumstances in their lives. It is easy to picture David contemplating their actions and striving to match their enduring faith as he descended into his various valleys of hardship.

  However, the most telling part of David’s life is that the One he contemplated more than any other was God Himself. While David certainly had the wonderful deeds of previous heroes of faith to consider, he preferred to spend the greatest energy in his recollections on the awesome activities of God. Throughout Psalm 9 David recounts several of God’s wonderful deeds. He recalls God upholding his just cause and offering righteous judgment (9:4). He recalls God rebuking wicked nations (9:5). He recounts how God has been a stronghold for the oppressed and has not forsaken those who seek Him (9:9-10). He recounts how often God has rescued him from the very gates of death (9:13). He considered how God has dealt with the nations that rejected Him (9:16-17). He remembered the Lord’s power to cause the wicked to tremble at His presence (9:19-20). Spending this time in reflection moved David to whole-hearted worship and praise (9:1). 

         It can be good to remember the works of past human beings and the things they were able to accomplish. It will always be better to remember the wonderful works of our God.