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The apostle James exhorts us to “draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you …” (Jas. 4: 8).  God does not tell us that we can find Him only in a quiet church sanctuary, or on the mountain top.  He tells us that wherever we seek Him, He will be there to meet with us and to minister to our needs.  Jeremiah 29: 13 confirms this precious truth: “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.”   His presence comforts us and shields us from all earthly assaults; He lightens our burdens and strengthens our faith.  How blessed to be in the presence of the One Who loves us and cares for us.

Sadly, however, many Christians view their time with the Lord as a burden rather than a blessing.  Small wonder, we are spiritually lethargic, with little appetite for the things of God.

Jesus – our perfect Example

Let us learn lessons of communion with God from our Lord Jesus Christ.  Whilst on earth, He faced pressures much greater than ours.  Imagine the whole city gathering and waiting upon Him for healing.  At one time, more than 5,000 people thronged around Him to hear His discourse.

Though very busy, the Lord took time to visit Martha, Mary and Lazarus.  He went out of His way to minister to the Samaritan woman.  He reached out to the despised tax collector, Zacchaeus, and to Nicodemus, a religious leader, who came to Him at night with a seeking heart.  The Lord not only had time for little children but encouraged them to come to Him:  “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19: 14).   

 Despite the heavy demands of the ministry, our Saviour often withdrew from the eager crowds, not just to  rest,  but  to  pray.   The  Bible  tells  us  that,  after  an

exhausting day of healing the sick late into the night, Jesus awoke early to pray:  “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mk. 1: 35).  Though fully occupied with the ministry, our Saviour knew His priorities.  He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, yet He found it necessary to draw nigh to God.

“During His ministry on earth, the Lord Jesus chose to limit the exercise of His divine attributes.  He was fully God, but He chose to depend on the Father and the indwelling Spirit working through Him.  He did this to show us how we are to depend on God.  That dependence can be seen in the way Jesus sought time alone with the Father” – “Keeping our appointments with God” – Discovery Series, RBC Ministries.

Prioritise our time with God

The greatest servants of God were those who were committed to prayer.  Like our Lord, they had a tight schedule, but they took time from things that were pressing and important to seek God in secret.  Follow their fine example and cultivate a deep personal relationship with the Lord. 

Many things battle for our time – television, internet, newspaper, and the demands of another busy day.   We often give the excuse that we have no time.  If we truly believe that God is our Sufficiency, and we must depend on Him and Him alone, we will seek Him with all our heart.  No matter how busy we are, determine to keep that daily appointment before the throne of grace.  Let nothing distract us or draw us away from that all-important time of communion with our Lord. 

Be disciplined.  Establish a regular time.  Choose a time of the day when we can wholly focus our attention on the Lord.  The morning hour is best before we start our day.  It is good to seek God’s blessings and guidance before we set out to fulfil our roles and responsibilities.

Cultivate a consciousness of God throughout the day.  One writer says: “If we see our quiet time only as a spiritual oasis once a day, we may fall into the trap of compartmentalising our spiritual life.  From the Garden of Eden until now, God has desired to walk with His people in life’s journey (Gen. 3: 8).  So it is essential that we take what we learn in our Quiet Time with us throughout the day.”  Review what we have read of God’s Word in the morning; maintain a spirit of prayer.  We do not know what perplexing situations we may meet each day.  Commit each concern to the Lord.  Pray for a right response in every situation.

May our gracious Lord fill us with joy as we draw nigh to Him each day.

- Pastor