Draw Me Close
by Michael W. Smith

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James 4:8a, 10 – “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

What happens in those times of hurt, sadness, and longing to be anywhere but where you’re at?  People get depressed.  They cry, they shout out in agony, their hearts are being torn, their souls in anguish.  So where is God in this time to trial?  Where is the joy that had been there?  Whatever happened to the song of the spirit – once a sweet melody turned into a discordant mess?  Sometimes we find ourselves in these times whether by choice or by how events unfurl.  We often forget that Christ has been standing near us all along.  We lose sight of the grace and the unfailing love.  What had filled our hearts with endless joy we have forgotten.  Take Job as an example.

Having lost his belongings, his children, and his wife, Job was a man who had his world horribly stripped away from him.  Yet even in his painful sores and weeping Job finds the one thing to hold onto – his unrelenting faith.  Joseph Bayly once said, “Don’t forget in the darkness what you’ve learned in the light.”

“Job lived by this same principle.  Even thought he could not understand God at the moment, he never belittled the blessings he had already received.” (Philip Yancey).  While Job is in pain and suffering, a glorious visit from God settles all questions.  In the end, not only has pain and suffering helped Job grow in faith, there is a happy (nay, it was a joyful) ending.

On your days of sorrow and those hours of sadness, sing this song to yourself.  It is a song of hope, of something more.  Look upon Job as a shining light at the end of the dark forest of pain and suffering.  Even more, remember to turn your eyes to Christ and draw near to Him.  As the Bible promises, He will draw near to you. 

God bless you and comfort you in times of sorrow.  Cry out to the Lord in your times of anguish and reach for the warm embrace of the arms that will always be there for you.

Song Lyrics:
Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I’m Your friend

You are my desire
No one else will do
‘Cause nothing else could take Your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace

Help me find the way
Bring me back to You 

You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know You are near 

©1994 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing

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