God Wants Us to Come to Him

Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

–Psalm 100:3

God has gone to great lengths to reveal Himself to us. How should we respond?

First of all, we should respond to His invitation. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” But the closer we come to God, the more we realize there’s a barrier between God and us, and that is sin. Fortunately, God sent Jesus Christ to make the full payment for our sin so that we can have an eternal relationship with God. We respond to God’s invitation by trusting in Christ for forgiveness and then getting to know God through Bible study and prayer.

Second, we should tap into God’s resources. In 2 Peter 1:3, the apostle said, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” In the attributes of God, we find tremendous resources we can tap into. For example, do you ever feel lonely or abandoned? Remember God’s immanence. He is with you. Do you need guidance for the future? Remember God’s omniscience. He knows all because He has planned all. Ask for His wisdom. Are you beating yourself up over something you did in the past? Remember God’s sovereignty. He is in control over everything, and He can use even your mistakes for good. Tap into His resources.

Finally, we should submit to God’s authority over our lives. The fact that God is all-powerful and sovereign should motivate us to say, “Yes, Lord.” He is already in control over everything, including our lives. Are we going to submit to His rule or resist His rule?

When I think about God’s revelation, I think about His dramatic encounter with the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19. First, God sent a mighty wind that was so powerful it cracked the rocks. But God wasn’t in the wind. Then God sent an earthquake that shook the mountain Elijah was standing on. But God wasn’t in the earthquake. Then God sent a fire. But God wasn’t in the fire. Finally, God sent a gently blowing wind. Verse 13 says, “When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle.” Why? Because He had heard the whisper of God.

God’s presence can be as bold and dramatic as a fire and as personal as a whisper. And the closer we draw to God, the louder His whisper becomes.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “What Every Christian Should Know About God” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2022.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.