Draw Near

 There is a fascinating story in Exodus 19 when the literal presence of God came down on Mount Sinai. There was smoke, fire, and the whole mountain trembled. God warned the people to not even touch the base of the mountain or they would die. He commanded Moses to set boundaries around the mountain for the people's protection. It must have been an awesome sight to behold. 

God invited one man to come up on the mountain to speak His commands. Moses was summoned to the top of the mountain. It was there that he received not just the ten commandments, but also the other commands as well. Moses was literally consumed in the presence of God. God made Moses go back down and warn the people again not to broach the mountain. 

I have read this account dozens of times over the years. I even preached it one night at a youth camp under an outside tabernacle as a thunderstorm rolled in. The thunder was so loud I had to pause in preaching to let the magnificent presence of God take center stage. I saw something today I have never seen before in scripture. Not in thirty years of serious Bible reading and study. One little verse captured my heart. 

      21      So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ex 20:21.

While others feared the presence of God, Moses was drawn to Him. The people did not even want God to speak to them directly. They feared what a direct message from God might do. They all stood at a safe distance. What a resemblance this is for the people of God today. So many are content to stand at a safe distance in devotions and corporate worship. They are content with a little religion, but steer clear of a close personal relationship with Yahweh. 

Moses was different. He yearned for the presence of God. He desired to encounter Him. His first God encounter happened in Exodus 3 at the burning bush. That only whetted his appetite for more. Does that describe you? Do you hunger and thirst for the presence of God? Do you long for more of Him? Moses did and He drew near. That means Moses approached God through the thick cloud. What frightened others intrigued Moses. He wanted to get closer. 

God wants to be known more than most people want to know Him. There is nothing on this earth I desire more than to know Him and to hear Him speak. I could not always say that. I got sucked into the fallacy of the American dream. Houses, vehicles, clothes, hobbies, and success consumed me for most of my life. For thirty years God whittled, chiseled, and cut away into that mentality to remind me of passages like Ps 16:11, Ps 73:25, and Phil 3:7-8. It was a painful process. 

I hunger for God as much or more than I ever have before. I yearn for more encounters with Him. While others may remain content to worship from afar, I want a more intimate view. I keep drawing near through the clouds of confusion to get closer to Him. The beautiful thing for any of us is that as we seek to draw near to Him, He is also seeking to draw near to us. James 4:8. 

More than worship services with multitudes of people I long for the private encounters with God in the secret place. I find a solace and contentment this world cannot offer when I am shut up alone with Him. He pulls me from underneath the snug covers at all hours of the night to come draw near. Even sleep cannot compare to the soul satisfaction found in His presence. I keep approaching God because there is so much else to discover about Him and to experience in Him. 

Will you spend your remaining days as a serious seeker drawing ever nearer to God? Will you be satisfied with the rot of religion that turns the stomach like spoiled food? Maybe you are scared to really draw near. Drawing near will forever change you. You will never be satisfied again with religious routine done out of duty and not the delight of pursuing God. I urge you to spend your remaining days drawing near.