THE FAMILY ALTAR
September 12.
"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." James 4:8.
Our God is a God at hand and not a God afar off. His faith-
ful Word assures us that "the Lord is nigh unto all them that
call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil
the desire of them that fear Him ; He also will hear their cry,
and will save them." (Ps. 145, 18. 19.) We often question in our
hearts, when oppressed by great fear and sorrow, whether God has
heard our prayers for help and deliverance. Oh, what shameful
doubting of the loving heart which our God has for us, His dear
children in Christ Jesus, our Savior ! The fact is that we cannot
make a single step in drawing nigh to our God, but He makes
a hundred in drawing nigh to us. Does not our Lord Jesus tell
us so in the parable of the Prodigal Son? When the father saw
his wayward bo}^ coming home, he had compassion, and ran to
meet him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. So our reconciled
Father in heaven is minded toward us. Never should we let any
doubt or fear keep us from drawing nigh to our God, never let
the devil prevent us one moment from returning to our God when
we have done anything amiss and our guilty conscience smites us.
The longer we stay away from God with our penitence or prayers,
the more shall we increase the fear and misery of our heart. "Ye
shall seek Me and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all
your heart," our God says, Jer. 29, 13. Hypocrites, of course, who
draw nigh to God only with their lips while their sin-loving hearts
are far from Him, cannot expect the holy and righteous God to
hear them. To them the apostle says: "Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded." But those
of a sincere and contrite heart that draw nigh to Him the Lord
receives, and dwells in them with all the rich treasures of His
grace and comfort and salvation.
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
.Fust as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
• Fust as I am — Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I conic! I come!
