Draw Near
Do you ever have soul-crushing days? Days when everything goes wrong - or at least feels like it does. Days when you just want to go home, make a cup of tea, crawl into bed, and lose yourself in a well-loved book because therein lies comfort. Therein lies safety. Therein lies known outcomes and satisfying conclusions.
I don’t have days like that too often, honestly. I’m an optimist and I have a large capacity to banish worries to the back of my mind until I can think about them without crying.
But there are some days…days which Anne of Green Gables called “Jonah days” - when even my capacity for looking on the bright side is challenged.
I won’t list the things that set me off. That won’t help anyone. But I will admit that I have yelled at the television news more than once lately when hearing political claptrap from the candidate I don’t like so much.
‘Nuff said about that.
I dare not say more because even saying that is enough to raise my blood pressure. It’s stressful. It’s frustrating. It’s irritating.
It’s pulling me away from God.
I read a verse this morning that I haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to. It’s in the Old Testament. I love the Old Testament - mostly - but I admit that sometimes I brush off OT verses as hard-to-understand. Not-applicable. Odd.
But this one. Oh, my. This one.
Isaiah 55:3
“Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”
The Living Bible translates it as:
“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake.”
The life of your soul is at stake!
Hear, that your soul may live!
Oh, my goodness.
Who am I listening to? What am I focused on?
The news? The state of our nation and world? The weather? My doctor? The state of my checkbook?
Let it go.
I’m not saying I should ignore it entirely. But to not focus on it.
I’ve got to listen to God, come and sit at his feet like Mary before us. Mary, who chose to sit at Jesus’ feet rather than do her hostess duties, much to her sister’s dismay. Mary, who chose “the good part” - that of sitting with, and listening to, her Savior.
And when I do that…when you do that…our souls will live.
What might that look like?
Don’t put that thought on the back burner, my friends.
Listen. Really, truly, listen. Draw near. Sit in the silence and peace that Jesus offers you.
“And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.” James 4:8
I don’t have days like that too often, honestly. I’m an optimist and I have a large capacity to banish worries to the back of my mind until I can think about them without crying.
But there are some days…days which Anne of Green Gables called “Jonah days” - when even my capacity for looking on the bright side is challenged.
I won’t list the things that set me off. That won’t help anyone. But I will admit that I have yelled at the television news more than once lately when hearing political claptrap from the candidate I don’t like so much.
‘Nuff said about that.
I dare not say more because even saying that is enough to raise my blood pressure. It’s stressful. It’s frustrating. It’s irritating.
It’s pulling me away from God.
I read a verse this morning that I haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to. It’s in the Old Testament. I love the Old Testament - mostly - but I admit that sometimes I brush off OT verses as hard-to-understand. Not-applicable. Odd.
But this one. Oh, my. This one.
Isaiah 55:3
“Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”
The Living Bible translates it as:
“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake.”
The life of your soul is at stake!
Hear, that your soul may live!
Oh, my goodness.
Who am I listening to? What am I focused on?
The news? The state of our nation and world? The weather? My doctor? The state of my checkbook?
Let it go.
I’m not saying I should ignore it entirely. But to not focus on it.
I’ve got to listen to God, come and sit at his feet like Mary before us. Mary, who chose to sit at Jesus’ feet rather than do her hostess duties, much to her sister’s dismay. Mary, who chose “the good part” - that of sitting with, and listening to, her Savior.
And when I do that…when you do that…our souls will live.
What might that look like?
Don’t put that thought on the back burner, my friends.
Listen. Really, truly, listen. Draw near. Sit in the silence and peace that Jesus offers you.
“And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.” James 4:8
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