Draw Near With and From the Heart

This morning I was led to the book of Hebrews and reminded of a sermon series titled, “Jesus is Better”. This was the series that was being delivered when I first began my dedication to studying God’s Word and sharing my learning through my writing.

“¹⁹Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God,²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:19 – 22 (ESV)

In the verses above I was reminded that “Jesus is Better” in that He gave all of Himself in death for me. He provided the way for me to commune directly with Him and not through another. That He is the High Priest. And that I have the opportunity to draw near to Him because of it.

Here is the catch, cause as we all know there is always a catch. I come and draw near to Jesus from my heart. Not with platitudes or sayings for the world to see and hear. Not just showing up on Sunday mornings or at Christmas and Easter. Not simply through my words. But I draw near to Jesus our LORD with and from my heart that is filled with Him and where I am led by the Holy Spirit.

The title of the passage in my ESV Bible where I am in this morning is “The Full Assurance of Faith”. Not the temporary assurance. Not the assurance for now, but the “full” assurance. I know in my heart and from my heart that Jesus died in my place and that because of that, I have the chance to draw near to Him. In that chance, I am assured that He is there when I come. I know without a doubt that He is waiting for me. I am confident that He is their waiting for me with His arms wide ready to comfort and protect me from any and all. I draw near to Him with and from my heart. Jesus is Better than any and all that came before or come after.

How are you coming to Jesus? Are you coming to Him from the surface of your life? What if you were to look in your heart and find the one who is better, Jesus, and draw near to Him with and from your heart?

Desire Through Faith

“¹⁶But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” — Hebrews 11:16 (ESV)

They is all of those who were righteous in the eyes of God, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah. There are/were of course many others who were considered righteous and all of them were fully faithful to the LORD. They gave of themselves fully for things that seemed impossible, as they knew in their hearts that they would be delivered at the had of God. Each of these desired something better, a heavenly better and knew it would be provided through their faith.

What a great testament to me these are. They demonstrate their full faith and devotion to the LORD and in return, they knew that He would provide. There was not expectation of how, only that He would. They placed full faith in the LORD to provide for their desire for better.

I have to use this in my own life. I have to remember to place my full faith in the LORD, knowing that He will provide. I cannot expect things to go as I plan them, only that they are resolved. I have to be open to how the LORD will provide and simply do the work he has assigned me and live in faith that it will lead to the provision for better.

What a great other view at the idea that I should only desire the LORD. In this instance, I am to desire better, but only as God sees fit for me and have full faith that He will indeed provide. My desire is rooted in the LORD and His plan for me. I can want for things and hope that they will come. But my desire should be in the LORD and for things that will be better in His sight and know that through my faith in Him, I will get the better as He sees fit.

What do you desire? Are you putting all your hope into something that you want? What if you placed all your hope and faith in God knowing that He will provide the better that He has in store for you?

Desire for the Better

Each morning I come to my desk and bible study with an open heart and mind for the LORD to guide me as to what He would have me learn. And, each morning I am brought to the scripture where about half the time I have been been before, only this time to learn something new from the same verse or passage. This morning is not any different.

“²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” – Philippians 1:21-26 (ESV)

I have been to this passage many times and have learned that it is important to remain here in this world to do the work that God has for me. I have to stay for the better of those in this world to bring the gospel to them so they have the opportunity to gain from salvation as I have.

But today I am here to learn about the other side, gaining from death and how I am to desire that gain for the reward that is to come in heaven. Paul writes that he desires the better, dying to be with Christ. What a great thing to set one’s sights, being with Christ because it is better than what is here and now.

I began my devoted morning bible study back in October of 2016 and the first of “Trevor’s Thoughts” was through a study of “Jesus is Better”. One of that study’s first lesson was centered on exploring your “kingdom purpose”. Here is one sentence from that writing, “Our ‘kingdom purpose’ comes to us by simply following the plan Christ has for us.” I wrote that on October 8, 2016 and it still holds true today. We are to follow the plan Christ has for us.

That plan is for us to be here doing His work, but the desire for the better, gaining through death to be with Christ is okay and encouraged. Where being with Christ is our ultimate destination, I still have work to do here in this world and as such, being with Christ is simply my desire and something that I will certainly be looking forward to reaching.

What is the work you have here in this world? Is that in line with your desire for the better? What if you kept doing the work of Christ for those here in this world and kept the desire for the better, being with Christ, as just that, the desire and the end destination to look forward to reaching?