Draw near To God And He Will Draw Near To You

Leviticus 9:22-24 -  Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

The Tabernacle was complete. It had been anointed…with everything that was in it. The Priests were washed…dressed and anointed to serve God in this new capacity. And the people gathered to allow Aaron to offer the first sacrifices before God.  The sacrifice for him and the people brought so much pleasure from God that he sent down fire from Heaven to consume what had been offered on the altar. The people were so moved by the sight that they fell on their faces and shouted when they saw it.

It is a great reminder to me that God draws near to those that draw nigh to him. James 4:8 recorded this truth.  It says… “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. The Psalmist put it this way in Psalms 145:18… “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Drawing near to God can be done in many mays…prayer…Bible study…. worship…. repenting of sin in our lives …and trusting in his promises …to name a few. If we do these things…then God begins to control our hearts…and gives us his great peace that surpasses all known understanding of this world. Just like it says in Philippians 4:6-7 … “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Father…thank you for the reminder that you will draw as near to me as I will to you.  Forgive me for the times that I have taken this promise for granted…and settled for less than what you want to give me. help me to truly seek you in all that I do and say…so that you can continue to give me a sweet peace about the days to come.  Amen.