Come to God
Key Bible Passages : Hebrews 10:22a
Author : Naomi Allen, Open Doors Youth
Are you someone who finds it easy to speak to God in the good and the bad, or are you someone who struggles? I’ve always been someone who is a bit of a pendulum when it comes to my prayer life. There are times when I or someone I know is in need and so I pray fervently - asking that God will help and change the situation. Often when life is going well my prayer life can slide a little as my obvious need of God is not felt as strongly - I can sort myself out and my prayers become sporadic. Alternatively, when I know that I haven’t treated people as I should, when I’ve watched or listened to something that hasn’t been helpful, when I’ve actively not been listening to God or doing something I know I shouldn’t, that’s when I find it hard to speak to God. My own shame, guilt and ego can stop me from coming to a Father who declares that “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Rom 8:38-39).
However, today’s verse encourages us to draw near to God. We draw near because, as we’ve learned from the previous verses, we can have confidence that God has made a way for us to know him. He’s already dealt with everything that could separate us.
But it doesn’t just say draw near to God, today’s verses invite us to draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.
Let me unpack the sincere heart bit. Have you ever said yes to something that you didn’t want to do? Maybe you have felt like you can’t say no or slightly manipulated…but that would be being insincere. Doing it because we feel we have to. Doing something sincerely is wanting to do it wholeheartedly. So when it says let us draw near to God with a sincere heart, it’s saying let’s draw near fully wanting to draw near, not doing it because we feel like we should or like we’re ticking a box. Having a sincere heart is about knowing God for yourself. If we know who God is, what his character is like then we can be secure enough to want to come to him, knowing that he isn’t going to disappoint or be angry with us, but meet us exactly where we’re at.
I’ve found that as I get to know God more, through prayer and reading the Bible, listening to talks, worshipping and learning from others - I am far more willing to be sincere as I draw close. Because I tust God, I know exactly who I’m coming to.
I don’t know if you’ve ever had a friend that sometimes is all warm and nice, and other times is cold and unpredictable. I have sometimes been tempted to think of God like that, someone who I can’t be certain of how they’ll react to me. But the Bible speaks of a God who is consistent, who is full of love for his people. Someone I don’t have to be afraid to draw close to.
The last part of this verse talks about drawing near with the full assurance that faith brings. When we choose to follow Jesus, it is a decision to say to God, “I need you, I am sorry for all the ways I have fallen short and not loved people like you do or lived in ways which honour you. I trust that because Jesus died and rose again, he has won the victory over all the wrong things I have done and as I trust you with my life, you will forgive and guide me to live for you.”
We can be secure in knowing that what Jesus has done for us on the cross has enabled us to be in full relationship with God. But it is a faith exercise. Later in Hebrews, the writer says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” To have faith is to believe in the things we cannot yet see - Do we really believe that God loves us? That God wants to be in relationship with us? I would love to see a world free of pain and suffering, war and famine - Jesus promises this, but I haven’t seen it yet. I need faith to keep me believing that one day I will experience life truly in all its fullness as we were intended to.
So how can we draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings. If you know there is something holding you back from God, deal with it. Speak to God about it, maybe if there’s something that you know you are really struggling with speak to someone you trust about it and ask them to pray with you too. But come to God knowing that he delights in you, in who he’s created you to be and that his promises can be trusted, even in the waiting.
Questions
To help with further reflection, thought or application.
1: Why do we often find it hard to draw near to God?
2: What does drawing near with a sincere heart and full assurance look like?
Prayer
Father God, thank you that because of Jesus We can have a relationship with you. Thank you that you invite us to draw close to you; invite me to draw close to a God we can know and trust. Thank you that we have nothing to fear in coming close but can rest assured that you love us and have dealt with anything that could separate us. Please help us to be quick to draw close in all situations. Where we can be tempted to fear or to believe lies about your character, would your Holy Spirit help us to hear to truth and trust that you are who you say you are. Amen.
We’ve created an audio version of this devotional that can be listened to as a Podcast.