There has been an echo in my heart for the last few weeks, a repeating of a cry when I feel stuck, hopeless or discouraged. The answer has not been an analysis of the situation or even an improvement of circumstances. Instead, God’s voice says “Draw near.”
When the day starts hard and just goes downhill from there, draw near. When the finances don’t add up and you are staring at bills, draw near.
When the spouse treats you unkindly and you wonder how long this will last, draw near.
When the kids are doing crazy things that hurt your heart, draw near.
When the job is so stressful you can’t seem to breathe, draw near.
When the diagnosis comes back and you can’t wrap your mind around it, draw near.
When you lose someone special and feel as if your world has ended, draw near.
When you do everything alone and feel every reverberation of the loneliness, draw near.
When you can’t make sense of your past and the pain feels like it will crush you, draw near.
Draw near to the One who loves incomprehensibly and limitlessly, who knows the pain and feels it just like you do, who remains faithful to the faithless, who comes with compassion and brings help in time of need.
We draw near even when we can’t make sense of it. We draw near even when the natural world tells us we are fools. We draw near even when the circumstances seem insurmountable. We draw near because Jesus is all we have, and in doing so, realize He is all we need.
I know there are times you want to run away and hide. I know there are times you want to quit. I would ask you, though, to draw near to Jesus in the middle of whatever circumstances you find yourself today, and find His presence. I can’t explain why this makes such a difference to me, but He does. He makes the bleakness feel beautifully colored. He makes the out of control feel perfectly ordered. He makes the crazy feel grounded and loved. And we can’t explain why. But He is bigger than any situation in which you find yourself today. So, draw near to Jesus and see what changes are made in your perspective.
Drawing near is simple. You just set your mind on Jesus and tell Him you want to draw near. He will never turn away or act as though He has left. He never leaves or forsakes. So many times in circumstances that seem like they will take away my breath, I draw near and watch Him be all that I need for that time—what a miracle this is!
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:19-23
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16