Draw near to God

Draw near to God

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  
                                                                               Hebrews 10:19-24
Here is a call by the writer of Hebrews to draw near to God,
“...with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  ”
When we accept Christ into our lives we have our hearts cleansed from the guilt of sin. We are washed and renewed.
Our walk with Christ should be a daily walk. Each and every day we should draw closer to Jesus.
I live with Bipolar affective disorder (manic depression). There is no cure it can only be controlled by medication and even they are not a hundred percent effective. Many with the illness commit suicide. I admit I have contemplated suicide many times.
The thing that has prevented me from doing so is my relationship with Jesus Christ and Christian family and friends.
Each day I get up and am thankful that I have another day to be with my them and to serve my God.
In my darkest hours before the doctors got my medications right, a process that took a number of years I found that I had to draw very near to God.
I found myself constantly seeking God to deliver me from what I was going through. To show me how to live with this problem in my brain.
He did.
I had my family and friends their praying for me and encouraging me to continue on serving the Lord.
The illness far from killing me or putting me in an institution actually drew me closer than I have ever been to God.
Scripture says,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 
                                           Romans 8:28
I have found this to be true.
I today speak to secular and Christian groups about my experience with mental illness and am able to testify about the grace of God in my life.
I would not have been able to do this had I not in the darkest times of my life drawn close to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
There is one other thing I must say in all of this. All those who come to the Lord need to lay a solid spiritual foundation.
In my early years as a Christian I was blessed to have some very good pastors and teachers who encouraged me to study the scriptures. Who helped me understand what it was to live a life for Christ.
It was this foundation that I believe saved my life as I was going through my mental health struggles and the other problems I’ve had in my life.
I learned as a young Christian that God was but a prayer away.
I am far from perfect. There are day’s I fall far short of God’s ideal for my life. Never the less I have always known beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Lord and saviour has always been there for me.
I strongly believe that God is there for all believers. That we need to go to Him not just in times of struggle but in good times.
I have never forgotten what God has done for me and I thank Him for all of it.
Dear Christian,
remember that no matter what you are going through God is but a prayer away and he will be there for you.
Think about it.