Lie Down To Draw Near!

December 2, 2021

Lie Down To Draw Near!

I am not sure how you draw near to the God who loves you so much that He gave His Son to live and die for you.  I imagine there are as many ways as there are people. 

Sometimes I find myself being very assertive and bold in drawing near to Jesus.  There are other times when I am a bit more hesitant…maybe even somewhat reluctant to draw near. 

It is so easy to get preoccupied, distracted, or engrossed with things that get in the way of drawing near to God.  It is easy to get too anxious, too busy, and too inattentive.  Sometimes it is easy to withdraw because we hurt, doubt because we are afraid, or hide because we are sad.

King David found himself in a season when he felt distant from the Lord God.  Even while he writes, David feels the distance is growing greater and greater.  In Psalm 69:1-3, David describes his lack of connection with God as drowning in a raging river flooding over its banks.

Maybe you are not quite that desperate for God today.  And yet, there may still be part of you that thirsts for more of God in your life.  There are several postures we can take to draw nearer and nearer to Jesus.  In the next few weeks, I will explore a few of these postures.

In Psalm 63:6 we hear about one of those postures.  David writes; “…I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…”  One of the postures we can take to draw near to the Lord is to lie down. 

We can lie down at night before we go to sleep.  We can lie down in the morning when we first wake.  We might even consider lying down for a nap in the afternoon.  David reminds us that we can meditate on the Lord while lying down.

In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, we hear that Mary, the mother of Jesus, gives birth to Jesus in a stable.  In Luke 2:6 we hear; “While they were there, the time came for her (Mary) to deliver her child.” 

Mary would have simply lie down on some straw to deliver her baby.  While lying down, Mary holds the Son of God and is surrounded by the light of God.  Mary is as near to God as any of us could ever hope to be.  That holy moment occurs when Mary is lying down.

Sometimes I wonder if the holy moment for which you are longing will come when you lie down for a while.  Like Mary, surrendered to what God wants to do.  Like Mary, in awe of who God is.  Like Mary, in wonder of why God would draw near to you.

During these weeks before Christmas, I invite you to lie down and draw near to Jesus.  Be still.  Be quiet.  Be open.  Like David said long ago; “…I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…”

When we draw near to Jesus, our heart will be filled with delight; a delight not unlike Mary’s delight when she gave birth to the King of Kings.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug