Draw Near to God

Drawing Near: The Priesthood and the Hospitality of God

Edward Welch writes, “We are priests. God’s intent for humanity has been that we would live in his house and receive his divine hospitality.”¹

Affirmed in the Word of God

1 Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The Purpose of Being a Priest

What I bend in my mind, and possibly you do as well, is the reason for being a priest. When I read 1 Peter 2:9, I immediately think about my tasks of executing the role of royal priest.

“How do I best proclaim the excellencies of him?”“I must ready the people.”“I must pray with others.”“I should follow up with the conversation last week about baptism.”

The thoughts and internal conversations continue to spill out of my mind like a volcanic magma flow, layer after layer till I’m completely buried.

Nearness to God

What escapes my mind is the thought of being near God. Priests in the Old Testament were in the place of God’s dwelling (the Temple). They were closer to heaven on earth than any other person on the planet.

Link the idea with me — heaven is the abode of God. We are excited about going to heaven. We are excited about dwelling with God forever. I often forget nearness in my day-to-day speed of life.

My pace of life leads to me to unintentional escape from the hospitality of God. Like the family too busy to come to your house for dinner, I need to slow down and dwell with the Lord. To just be near him. Near him in prayer, reading, reflection, provision, and obedience.

The Promise of Nearness

James 4:8

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Our work toward holiness is drawing near to God. We repent, turning from our sin and seeking the things of the Lord. Not works to do alone, but things to believe about him in the Word. Not tasks to be done, but time to be spent with the Lord. He will draw near to us as we draw near to him. We have all had experiences when we drew near to someone only to have them press further away. God is not fleeing from us. He will draw near to us because he has promised to do so.

What Keeps Us from Legalism?

Hebrews 7:18–19

“[18] For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness[19] (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”

More laws will not make us draw near to God. The better hope is Christ.

We can draw near to God as we believe in Christ and trust in his work on the cross and its transformation of our lives. Jesus is the one that provides the way to draw near.

How Do I Slow Down to Draw Near?

• Set time aside each day to just commune with God — prayer, Scripture reading, song, praise offering (thanking God for what he has done), and wondering about God.

• Every few months, spend an entire day thinking about the Lord. Maybe you wake on a Saturday and instead of going through the task list, you sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and spend a few hours with the Lord — journal in hand, writing as you think and read the words of God, not in a hurry for the next thing.

• Don’t equate your tasks for the Lord as your intimacy or nearness to him. Do not believe the lie that “you are what you do.” You are so much more than your utility or ability. You are a royal priest in the presence of the King.

  
  

The goal is to not let these suggestions become another task on the list of things to do for God. My prayer is that these thoughts become a well of joy in your life as you seek the Lord in nearness.

-Pastor John Richardson

¹ Welch, Edward T., and Marcus Jackman. Created to Draw Near. Wheaton , Il: Crossway, 2020.