“How shall we return?”
That is what the people in Malachi’s day were asking God. He beckoned His children to return to Him, back into fellowship with their heavenly Father...and they didn’t know how. Don’t we often still ask the same thing today? I mean, I desperately want more of God, I want to draw near to him...so close I can hear His heartbeat. But how shall we return when we’ve wandered so far? Or how do we draw near while a thousand different notifications, reminders, alerts, and “to-do”s are blaring at us every hour on the clock?
How then do we draw near?
God’s answer to the people in Malachi 3:7-12 is slightly surprising. There’s no 1-2-3 answer when they ask how to return. He points out their sin. They were robbing God in their tithe, not giving the 10 percent of their harvest as was required in the law given by Moses all the way back on Mt. Sinai. At the core of their thievery was really just plain ole pride and unbelief. They had a complete lack of reverence and honor for God in their hearts and they didn’t really believe that He was worth the sacrifice of wholehearted giving. They had forgotten or just really weren’t all that grateful for the wonderful things He had done for them as the children of Israel. They really just didn’t believe that following God’s law was all that important anymore compared to “keeping up with the ‘Jehoiakims’” or scraping by just enough to keep lamb on the table. At the core was selfish ambition (pride) and self-preservation (unbelief). Ouch. I don’t have to peer too deep to see that in my own heart.
So when I think of God’s answer to their question, two things come to mind if I want to return and draw near to my God. I need to : 1) Recognize my sin. Ask God to show me the areas of my life that are not aligned with His will and ways. And, 2) Turn from them.
We can recognize our sin by staying in His Word. Daily reading and meditating on God’s Word is a non-negotiable part of drawing near to God. It is His very breath. His very heart. And it’s the clearest revelation of Jesus Christ you’ll encounter until you see His face one day. From page one until the end, the Bible preaches the good news of Jesus, culminating with His death and resurrection. Prior to Christ’s incarnation, men and women had the Law as a mirror to show them their sin. They never measured up. They could never keep it. The Ten Commandments and loving God first were just impossible. Jesus came and annihilated the Law, so for us on this side of the cross, we look not to the Law, but to his life and sacrificial death to show us the depth of our sinful nature. In His Word, I read and hear His very spoken words and teachings, I see His perfect life and His willingness to die undeservedly...and when I measure my own life up to His, it doesn’t take more than a millisecond for me to recognize my sin. I rob God daily of the glory due His name. Jesus lived daily to give God the glory due His Name.
But His Word also shows me how to turn to Him...How to return and draw near. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus not only shows me my sin, it’s the answer and the power to turn from it.
In God’s Word I see that drawing near to God is only by believing in the person and work of Jesus and confessing Him as my Lord...my Master. He’s the boss of me. And that’s where the rubber hits the road in drawing near to Him...
It starts with recognizing my deep need for salvation and for Jesus alone to be my Savior. And not just during a powerful worship service on Sunday. Or for 10 minutes in the morning over a cup of coffee and a three minute devotional then on with the pinball-machine day. What I’m finding is that drawing near happens all. day. long.
In each moment I have the choice to choose to recognize my propensity towards sin and that apart from Christ I can do no good thing. In each moment, I have the choice to choose to honor Christ as Lord in my heart or to honor myself above Him. And it’s these baby step choices that lay the pave stones on the path towards His heart. It’s laying down MY will, MY desires, MY life and choosing to picture myself at the foot of the cross saying, “Lord, not my will, but yours be done.”
But making these choices, to say the kind word, to choose the path He’s set before me, to say “Yes” when I want to say “No”...these are all great and good, but won’t lay a single pave stone unless they are done in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit through the indwelling Life of Christ IN ME.
Jesus lived a perfect life of communion and nearness to God the Father and that is now mine, too! And yours, dear one.
We will make choices to clothe ourselves with the nature of Christ and to draw near to God through His Word, prayer and minute by minute small steps of laying down our own will only because Christ in me and in you is the living power to do so. His death and resurrection have brought us near to God. We can’t be any closer to Him this side of Heaven because He lives in us. So we stand on that truth and begin to operate from it. We believe it like it’s life and breath to us and we start making choices according to that reality.
Do you feel far from God, Christian? Do you want to return and are asking how?
Recognize your sin by seeing Jesus in His Word and praying for Him to reveal who He is, who you would be without Him and who you are because of Him. Oh, Blessed Savior!
Repent and turn from your sin knowing you are forgiven and completely righteous. Make small choices moment by moment to live in a way that says “Christ is my Lord. I choose to honor Him in this moment.”
Rest in the perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, imparted to you. You are in Him. He is in you.
The nearness of God is your good. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Praise to Jesus for bringing us near to the heart of God once and for all!
