FAITH CAPSULE: When God draws near man’s soul, man is set for deliverance.
Jeremiah 29
God is not a slave-master, but He is a saving God. God will not force man to draw near Him. However, God waiting for man to seek Him and He will draw man near. With knowing and understanding, man should continually ask God to draw man to Him. When God draws man near to Him, man is set to be in the presence of God. In the presence of God, peace of God is in place for man to obtain peace which surpasses all understanding. Man is to seek God to be drawn near to God. Moses sought God and the rest which is rooted in the peace of God was in position to be obtained by Moses. In Exodus 33:12, Moses sought God by asking, “…See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me…” Moses wanted to be drawn near to God by seeking from God. In response to Moses, God said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) Man cannot call on God to follow him it is God that calls man to follow Him. Obviously, God is in position to draw man near when man demonstrate desire to be draw near to God. Do you have desire to be drawn by God?
Jeremiah 29:11-14 recorded God’s care for man if man seek to be drawn near to God, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord…” God wants peace for man; He wants a hopeful future for man; He wants man’s attention by communicating with man; He wants man to seek Him constantly. God sent His son so that His entire plan for man shall be manifested. Will you take a position in your walk, seeking God to draw you near? Evidence of man’s walk before God will always provoke God to draw man near to God.
When God draws near man’s soul, man is set for deliverance. David’s urgent plea for help in time of trouble sought God stating, “Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.” (Psalm 69:18) Man extend so little to God’s investment to draw man near as it is evidently stated in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Confess consistently calling 2018 as Year of: Draw me near God.
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to gain position in God’s presence as year goes.