“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”
(1 Chronicles 16:11)
God is not an unjust judge who you will wear out by your “continual coming” to Him. On the contrary, He wants you to “pray always” and not faint. He invites you to draw near to Him so He can draw near to you.
“Coming to God” is the reflex of the righteous, the daily privilege and primary activity of every saint. He expects us to see Him as our daily bread. He waits to be gracious to us and involve Himself in our lives, but only at the sound of our voice. When we think we can handle things, He lets us. As long as we have things under control, He waits for us to experience the inevitable fall that follows pride.
To go even a day without God’s involvement in our lives is an invitation for corruption to arise in our mind, our emotions and our way. Despite the damage which can spread by His absence from “all our thoughts,” God’s wonderful involvement in our inner life waits for our invitation. For this, we must know our desperate need for Him – continually. We must hear His cry to us, “Seek My face,” and our heart must answer, “Thy face O Lord will I seek!”
To live outside His presence and be bereft of His life giving ministry, is spiritual suicide.
While there is that moment in time when one first comes to God, we are never to stop coming to Him. We come as we are, and only because we have come, do we not stay the way we are. He meets us in our struggle and weakness. He takes the jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings we bring before Him and “hovers” over the darkness, speaking order into the confusion, and peace to the raging storm. He topples every high thing that exalts itself against His knowledge. He makes sense where there is no sense. He says, “Let there be light,” and In His light we see light. And He simply holds us when we need comfort more than knowledge, steadying our heart until He can inform and transform us.
To fail to come to God each and every day, in matters large and small, is the greatest folly for a people who have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. If He is not far from any who would seek Him, how much nearer is He to those who are already His own, who are a royal priesthood whose God is so near to them in all the things they call upon Him for. He is the “fountain of life,” and to live outside His presence and be bereft of His life giving ministry, is spiritual suicide. True worship is a matter of life and death.
But worship is a verb. It requires action. God is willing to come. He is willing to draw near to us. But will we draw near to Him? Will we lift up our soul and call upon Him continually?
God’s eternal invitation in Christ has already been sent out. To whosoever will, the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let those that hear, say in return, “Come.” Do not wait for church or heaven to meet God. Meet with Him today, and every day, in the secret place of your own heart!