Young Adults' Group

Nearness to God

by Pastor Mark
March 30, 2017

A spirit that involves drawing near to God

The “N” in Bethany stands for nearness with God. The spirit of Bethany entails having a relationship of drawing near to God. There should be a sense of closeness with our Lord.

If we have drifted and are walking far away from God, then we are not having the kind of spirit that Bethany has…one in which we would draw near to Him consistently.

Nearness to God

“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.” (Ps 73:28) What does it mean for us to draw near to God?

The Psalmist Asaph wrote that it was a good thing for him to draw near to God. It means coming before the presence of the Lord and to be conscious of who He is.

It also means coming before God in His sanctuary. (Ps 73:17) As a priest, Asaph would appreciate entering into both the physical and spiritual sanctuary of the Lord. When we immerse ourselves in the sanctuary of the Lord, we would find ourselves drawing nearer to Him.

Reasons for us to draw near to God

Why do we want to draw near to God?

1. To address the issues of life

“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.” (Ps 73:17)

Asaph was disturbed by how wicked enemies seemed to have the upper hand of having prosperity and abundance in life. (Ps 73:3) Only when he went into the sanctuary of the Lord, he was able to understand things better…to see things from God’s perspective that He would bring about their end. When we draw near to God, we would be able to address the issues of life that we may be struggling with.

2. To put our trust in Him

As we draw near to God, we would learn to look to Him and to place our absolute trust in Him. Asaph was able to focus on God whose presence would be there with him…in holding him and guiding him, even to the end of his life. (Ps 73:23,24) Even though there would be times when his heart might fail, the Lord would be the strength of his heart. When we draw near to God, we would be able to put our complete trust in Him.

3. To have a greater sense of purpose in declaring God

Drawing near to God would give us a greater sense of purpose. Asaph found a great sense of purpose because he drew near to God. He was able to declare about the Lord and His works. Truly, we have every reason to draw near to God.

Pledge to draw near to God

I also recall what we learnt in our Family Camp from the book of Jeremiah. It is God who would cause us to draw near to Him. At the same time, our response should be to pledge to draw near to Him. (Jer 30:21) As we seek to cultivate the spirit of Bethany, let us be challenged to draw near to God consistently.

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