Drawing Near to God

 

You may have heard the phrase, “Getting closer to God.” That’s a common statement made by many Christians today. While it sounds great, the phrase is a little bit of a misnomer. The truth is that God is already closer to you than anyone could ever be. It’s more correct to say, “Drawing near to God” or “Turning to God.” You see, as you read this post, He’s already there with you.

The focus of this post is what it means to draw near to God, my own experience, and that He wants to have a relationship with each of us.

What Does It Mean to Draw Near to God—Defining the Concept

Drawing near to God means turning to Him and deepening your relationship with the Lord. When you do this, expect God’s presence to be with you. He may fill your heart, mind, and spirit as never before. God, our Father, brings a love that’s eternal. When you return God’s love, you may feel overwhelmed at first. But as you grow in the Spirit, you will become acquainted with the breadth and depth of our Father’s love for you and all of His children.

Though you may not realize it, God, our Father, wants a relationship with each of His children. He waits for each of us to turn to Him fully and completely. God wants a relationship with you, too. Until that time (when you’re ready), you can bet that God is always near, though you may not know it.

My First Experience with God

My parents raised me as a Christian, so I knew of the Lord but didn’t truly know Him. All through my childhood and into my teens, God was a part of our family. I experienced Him through the depth of love shown to me through my parents and grandparents. I experienced this love but did not truly understand or know Him throughout my childhood and early teens.  

During my university days, I almost became an unbeliever. I took the regular classes and electives for my business major. My favorite electives were astronomy and mythology, though I also loved my anthropology course. My business classes were OK; my favorites were business writing and business law.

I wasn’t the usual rebellious university student, but somehow, I almost became an unbeliever. I honestly can’t remember what it was that tried to turn me away from God and the church. Maybe it was being in a place where free thought is the way of all things. I don’t remember, but I was an on-the-edge and almost an unbeliever until well into my mid-twenties.

Somewhere along the way, I got married, and a few years later, I was expecting my first child. About two and half months into the pregnancy, it ended in miscarriage. The doctor didn’t know what had happened, except that the baby hadn’t formed correctly for some reason. I was devastated. I had so wanted that little being and already loved it when I lost it.

Over the following weeks and months, I worried I’d also lose my next pregnancy. I was also afraid I’d done something to cause the miscarriage. It was a scary, stressful time. My then-husband and I went up to my folks’ for Easter that year, and it was nice. We attended church on Easter Sunday morning. The sermon was OK.

During that sermon, I had my first experience of “meeting God.” I don’t remember consciously turning to Him, but He made Himself fully known as I sat in the pew with my family. An overwhelming depth of love, like I’ve never experienced before, came over me. It was a warm, enveloping, caring, healing kind of love. I somehow knew this was God.

God let me know that the miscarriage was not my fault. He said I would become pregnant again and the baby would survive and be healthy. There was no information about the sex of my child-to-be or when this would happen. But He left the certainty that it would happen as He said. And I trusted this knowledge and message from God, though I still wondered what I had experienced that Easter Sunday morning.  

The message He gave was not done with audible words. Instead, the message came through a strong impression that became words. It’s not easy to describe this experience. This is the best I can do. But there was also a sense of comfort—I didn’t need to be afraid. It was a very positive experience for me.

This experience probably only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. The love was overwhelming, as was the knowledge that my next child would be healthy. But I wondered why God showed Himself to me in this way. Why me? I was practically an unbeliever at the time.

I have no answers as to why this happened. But I can honestly say it was a turning point in my life. I started on the journey to becoming a believer, but I still did not make the conscious choice to draw near to God completely. It was more like a tentative turning to Him over the next few years.

When my subsequent pregnancy (six months after the miscarriage) resulted in a healthy child (who is now an adult), I wanted to turn to God but still felt hesitant. It wasn’t until several years later that I made a total commitment to Him, and I haven’t turned back since.

Understanding God’s Love

Feelings and emotions govern our human love. We know of loving, kind love in human terms, but the love of God is much deeper and more constant.

The love of God surpasses human love by leaps and bounds. You may get a sense of this by reading Psalm 103. Read the entire Psalm, where David describes God’s love for each of us. David describes God, saying He forgives, heals, satisfies, has compassion, redeems, crowns, and more. His love is faithful, kind, and deep; it goes beyond the human love we know.

It’s also essential to remember that God is our Father, and He does discipline us when we need it. However, His discipline always comes with that eternity of love.

What Happens When You Draw Near to God?

What happens when you turn to God? All I can say is that each person’s experience is unique to them. Your experience will be entirely different than my own. God may choose the time and place, or you will. That’s the only thing I know for sure. But I can say that you’ll know a depth of love that feels like an eternity. God loves each of us like this and is just waiting for us to turn to Him completely.

As with any relationship, it may not happen all at once; however, it is possible for a person to fully and completely draw near to God in one fell swoop. For me, it took a few more years before I made the total commitment to drawing near to God. I have always been slow on the uptake—all through my life. Thankfully, He was very patient with me. I may share that story later in this blog.

For today’s post, I wanted to say that when we draw near to God, He surely draws near to us. He’s waiting for this moment and longs to have a relationship with each of us. We are His children, and God loves us immensely.

How do we know God longs for a relationship with each one of us? Read John 3:16.

God, our Father, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Jesus died so we might be saved from our sins and have everlasting life. Our Father loves us very much, indeed.  

Don’t Be Afraid—God’s Gentle Approach

Some people are afraid that God will force Himself on them. But that’s not how He works. God is a gentleman because He does not force Himself on you or any of His children. We are free to accept or reject Him at any time.

How do I know this is true? From my first encounter with God that Easter Sunday morning described above. He came to me in a gentle way, not all at once. It was gradual. I believe He did this because I feared Him and spiritual experiences. Coming from the “Buckle on the Bible Belt,” the indwelling Spirit of God was something most Christians looked for and wanted. I did not at that time.

If I had not wanted that experience, I fully trust and believe God would have withdrawn right then. Our Father does not force his presence on us.

Did you know that God says, “Fear not,” hundreds of times in the Bible? It’s true! God understands it can be scary to draw near to Him. Some people keep an arm’s length (or more) away from our Father all throughout their lives, though they are believers. His presence can be overwhelming; however, He will never force Himself on you. What do I mean by “God will not force Himself on you”?

God comes to you when you’re ready and not before. Though our Father wants to be with us when we’re afraid or happy, He never forces Himself on us.

So, don’t be afraid that God will force Himself on you. He’s not like that at all. God comes only when you’re ready. Again, each person’s experience is unique. Only He knows how best to approach you. But never fear that God will force you into His holy presence.

And know that Our Father wants a relationship with all of us…He wants a relationship with you.

God's Love and Invitation 

Turning to God can be scary; I understand that and felt some initial fear in the beginning. But know that when you draw near to God, He’s waiting for you. He loves with you a deep, everlasting love that far surpasses human love in all ways.

Our Father wants a relationship with you and is close by when you’re ready to draw near to Him.

Next Post

In the next post, I’ll look at how to draw near to God.

God bless. 

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