Message
God’s Will/My Will: Draw Near – Drawing Near: Part 1
Hebrews 4:16 and James 4:7-10
Time. It flows like an eternal spring, moving us forward into the future. Time. A continual gift of the present. Time. A reflection of the past. Time. A gift of God. And ‘all we have to do is decide what to do with the time we have been given.’ (Gandalf, at a decision crossroad in the Mines of Moria.).
Time is a gift given each day as we wake up, grab our cup of coffee (or not), that already has our plans stamped on it. Going here or there, doing this or that. And our will exerts powerful influence over our thoughts, actions, choices, and directions we travel through time. Would if we saw time as a ‘gift from God’, an opportunity to walk each moment of the day in close relationship with our Maker, Redeemer, and Life Sustainer? How would that influence ‘our plans’? What might look different in attitude, in thought and action, as we encounter others, as we engage in work, school, and play, seeing time as a gift to receive, rather than achieve?
Would if we saw time as a ‘gift from God’, an opportunity to walk each moment of the day in close relationship with our Maker, Redeemer, and Life Sustainer? How would that influence ‘our plans’? What might look different in attitude, in thought and action, as we encounter others, as we engage in work, school, and play, seeing time as a gift to receive, rather than achieve?
Time is a mystery to me. From where and how time began, to how it is that God, who is eternal, engages time. One thing for sure, God enters time in the incarnation of Jesus, at just the right time. And part of his purpose is the salvation and redemption of all things, including time. Jesus is the God of all, and over, and in all history. Jesus is the God of our story.
So today, wake up and receive time as a gift, God’s gift, to be entered into afresh. Today is a new day, it’s God’s day, given to us, the gift of time. All we have to do is decide what to do with the time we have been given. God invites us to choose Him. Jesus invites us to follow Him. The Holy Spirit is at work for us, in real time. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart… in all your ways acknowledge him.”
Sunday, the plan is to explore the integration of God’s will and our will in exploring Scripture’s call to draw near to God. A two week series on ‘drawing near’ begins Sunday for Advent week three and four. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” And James 4:7-10 says, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Drawing near to God is the best thing we can do with our ‘time’. As time marches on, surrender your time to God, draw near to Him. In drawing near to God, God will direct our paths. After all, at the perfect time, God first drew near to us in THE GREAT DRAW NEAR. Isn’t that what we celebrate at Christmas?
See you Sunday,
Pastor Mark