FEBRUARY FAST #2: THE NEED TO DRAW NEAR, Part 2
The need to draw near doesn’t just start or stop with fasting; it continues every day. Each day, we face our own carnal nature that vies for attention meant for the Lord. Certainly, the enemy of our soul loves it, when our own pride and rebellion conspire to keep us from Him who loves us more than anyone! (See FEBRUARY FAST #1) Yes, there is indeed an “enemy within” that has a treacherous alliance with the one who means to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10)
So, we must draw near – not only to thwart the enemy within – but also the “enemy without.” We must draw near to hold our ground against the undertow of life …
Heb 2:1 NKJV Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
How quickly we forget the wonderful words and works of God! They reassure us and validate our belief in Who we are dealing with – and how very much He loves us. That alone, is one excellent reason to draw near: to remember HIM, what He has said, and what He has done for us. That alone will help to keep us steady and on course, as life’s currents conspire to redirect.
Unfortunately, we seem to be no different than the Israelites. They saw incredible miracles, each of which condemned their enemies and prospered them, setting them free from Egypt. Then, after a few days in the sand, they seemed to forget all about what happened! Life’s circumstances have a way of erasing God’s goodness, if we let them. That’s why we have to continually draw near.
Jesus knew this. He washed the dust off the disciples’ feet to keep them clean. (Jn 13) He knew what the dust of this world could do! He also drew near to His Father (Mat 14:23) – and if HE had to draw near, certainly we must, also.
The kingdom of heaven is like that. It invades earth for brief moments of glory that seem to dissipate and fade just as fast. We have a wonderful time in prayer; God speaks to us; our souls burn within us, as He opens the mysteries of His Word. We receive amazing answers to prayer and healings and other supernatural intervention. WOW! We who know Him and walk with Him are like the disciples of old. We are privileged to see God move in a myriad of ways … and yet, we seem to forget these things just as quickly.
Signs and wonders are like that. They get our attention; that is for sure! They are wonderful – literally full of wonder – but they cannot sustain us. They are signs, merely signs, pointing to the One who needs our ongoing attention. They are markers along the way, but they are not the Way.
Why do we drift? How can we even think of drifting? We are not trying to be ungrateful. We are not intentionally ignoring Him, but it happens…
Life happens; we get busy.
The undertow of life pulls us along, and we don’t realize how far we drift – or how quickly – until we look up and see. We’ve all had this experience on the beach, haven’t we? How did the lifeguard stand get so far away? News flash: It didn’t move. We are the ones who succumbed to the tide that pulled us along…
To receive the kingdom, we must not just hold our ground, we must defy the tide. We must move against the tide within, like David needed to do – and we must move against the tide without. That is how we receive the kingdom. We go against the tide that would pull us away and violently head upstream!
Jesus said it, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Mat 11:12 NKJV)
We can’t afford to drift; we’ve got to go upstream to receive the kingdom!
Paul said it this way, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Phil 3:12 NKJV)
If we do not pay close attention, we will drift. The tide of life will carry us along, and we won’t even realize how far how fast. Instead, we must not only draw near, but to get what God has for us, we must press in to receive!
