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The Lord Draws Us Close to Him
Andrea Lende • October 24, 2020
John 6:44-45
The Lord Draws Us Close to Him
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Lord-Draws-Us-Close-to-Him-elhbck
John 6:44-45
“No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.”
“It is written in [the book of] the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher]. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me.” [Isa. 54:13]
Jesus was talking to the multitudes in these passages.
They were His kinsmen from His town.
Unfortunately, they could not see nor believe that He was the Messiah.
They were skeptical because they had known Him to be born of two people they knew – Joseph and Mary.
So, their eyes and ears were closed.
This was all part of God’s plan.
His plan to let us Gentiles in His fold before the last days.
I am so grateful the Lord chose me to know Him.
He brought me close to Him.
He taught me.
And I believe in His Son.
What a great and wonderful message Jesus had for the people at the time.
How much more powerful is His message to me and you?
We have been chosen to know the Lord and to believe in His Son.
The One Who sacrificed Himself so that we would be saved two thousand years past His death.
He could see all of the people whose spirits would be His.
I believe He grieved for us all in the Garden of Gethsemane.
As He sweat drops of blood before His sacrifice, He had us in mind.
He knew His actions would save us from the depths of Sheol.
He knew His love ran deeper than His own life.
I am thankful for the Love that saved me and you.
Today I am thankful the Lord drew me close to Himself so that I would believe in His Son and be saved for all eternity.
May you find you are drawn to the Lord, taught by Him, and saved by His Son.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for drawing me close to You. Thank You for teaching me about You and Your Son. Thank You for instilling faith in my soul so that I would believe and be saved as Your child. Thank You, Lord, for all You do for me and all You are. Thank You for reaching down and saving me from myself. Keep me Yours for all eternity, Lord. Keep me at Your feet as I traverse this life and walk the road You have given me to walk. Strengthen me in every way, Lord. As the ground I walk seems shaky, hold me up and keep me strong. Direct my steps and help me do as You ask. Do not let fear have a grip on me, Father, but give me the might to move forward. Increase my faith as I follow You. Thank You for every blessing and miracle You do for me and the family You have given me. May I bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You are Mine and always will be, sayeth the Lord.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord, thank You Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.