No man cuts himself free of old ties without regret; even scenes of hardship and sadness possess the warmth of familiarity, and within each of us there is a love for the known.”
–Louis L’Amour (Lando)
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
–1 John 3:2 (NASB)
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Do we really want to be nearer the Lord? That will mean carrying a cross, do we really want to be that near? Do we want to be like Moses and want to see the face of God? Do we really want to have faith, oh but we must, for without faith it is impossible to please God. This hymn has been on my mind the past couple of weeks by Fanny J. Crosby.
“I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.”
We have was are now known as “worship leaders.” Those who say they lead unto into the throne room of God. No, it is the Holy Spirit that brings us to Him. And true worship means to be consecrated to His service. True worship is when we have lost our will in His.
“Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.”
Abraham was a friend of God. God came to visit Abraham one time to give him two messages. One was a promise of the covenant, the other a promise of wrath. One would result in the birth of Isaac, the other in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, the point is that God said, He was Abraham’s friend. They spent time together. Have you ever been with the Lord for a long period of time then wonder, my…where has the time gone?
“O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!”
Life can be full of troubles and trials, and toils and woes. Right now we know what the Scriptures tell us about God. For those who spend time with Him, they get a better feeling of who He is, but even then there is much we cannot know about Him. One day, we shall see Him as He is–in all His splendor, majesty and glory.
“There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.”