Drawing Closer To God What we can learn from the psalmist about seeking the Lord and keeping Him closer to us.

Psalm 73:23-28 “Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works.

Introduction It should be obvious that our personal relationship with God is to be of supreme importance. Collectively, we all work towards that relationship, and encourage each other along the way. We cannot begin to express the meaning of getting closer to God by mere words alone.

Introduction As we read the words of Asaph, we get a profound deep feeling of a desire to be in a very close relationship with God. We understand the importance of a deep intimate relationship as we look at the marriage bond. We need to feel so connected to God that separation would be a curse for us.

I am continually with Thee We must never forget the presence of God. Yes, God is everywhere, and we need to remember that God is where you are watching what you are doing all the time. It is not God who severs the relationship we have with Him, it is us doing our sins.

Thou has taken hold of my right hand The right hand is the symbol of authority. Christ sits at the right hand of God. Servants and prophets of God are sometimes said to be His right hand. For most, the right hand is stronger as it is used more. God holding our hand should be comforting.

With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me The counsel of God is all that He teaches us. Paul declared the whole counsel of God to the Ephesian elders. (Acts 20:27) In other words, Paul did not leave anything out that was important. All of God’s word is important (2 Timothy 3:16,17) We must allow God to guide us through our walk of life.

And afterward, receive me to glory This is what we all are hoping for. The glory of God which He promised to His faithful ones. We are promised to share in the glory that now belongs to Christ. (Colossians 3:3-4) We can rest from our labors AFTER we have done our duty to God.

Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Good question. Might be said this way: Who greater can I have? The desire of reaching heaven should motivate us to faithful service. Sharing our faith with others is included in such faithful duty.

And beside Thee, I desire nothing on earth Sure we desire things as humans. The point is that we must remember to seek God first in everything. (Matthew 6:33) We can be thankful that God has blessed us with so much, and we must not forget where our blessings come from. Anything on earth more important than God will prevent us from reaching heaven.

My flesh and my heart may fail Yes, we are mortal, and we are human, and we have desires. However none of those desires is so important that we forget we are still seeking God. But what a blessing we have that even though we do fail God from time to time, He will forgive us if we ask for it.

But God is the strength of my heart Our strength to be faithful comes from understanding just how much God is rooting for us. God demonstrated His love for us by sending the Son (John 3:16) who provided salvation to all those who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:9) If we have God in our heart, we will try to do His will. (Psalm 119:11)

And my portion forever We can always depend upon God. God will never forsake us or leave us. (Hebrews 13:5) If we are separated in our relationship, it is because of our sins (Isaiah 59:2).

For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Those who are near to God will flourish, and be blessed. Psalm 73:1 “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!” Those separated from God are lost and on the road to destruction.

Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. This is the fate of every soul that rejects God and what God offered to us: His Son. Before the cross, God executed His justice by destroying the people who were disobedient. On judgment day, God will send all the unfaithful into everlasting destruction.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good. It is good to draw near to God. It is to our benefit for our soul. If we make the effort to draw near to God, He will draw nigh unto us. (James 4:8)

I have made the Lord God my refuge, He is our stronghold and fortress. We cannot put our trust in anyone else (Psalm 118:8) We should not trust upon ourselves (Proverbs 3:5,6)

That I may tell of all Thy works. This is why we are here. To tell of God and His mighty works. Of His creation, dealing with men, and the offering of salvation. We are a chosen people for a purpose (1 Peter 2:9)

Conclusion Drawing close to God is not hard as you might think. But only those who make the effort to draw near to God will find Him. Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him when He is near (Isaiah 55:6)