In our lesson from the Hebrew scriptures we hear Moses and Aaron encouraging the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord.” If we listen with open ears, we can hear that same invitation today: to draw near and be fed, especially in the wilderness experiences of our lives. In the New Testament, we find a similar injunction in the Epistle of James in his exhortation to “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (Jms.4:8) We know somehow that God is always near, nearer than our own breath the mystics tell us, but when we make the effort to draw near to the Beloved, our awareness of the Holy Presence is awakened, strengthened, deepened.

Assuming that is our desire, the question for us then becomes how do we draw near to God. The answer for each of us will be different as God meets us in the uniqueness of our lives, but in general the variety of spiritual practices that have come to us through the traditions of the ages is a good place to start. Paying attention to scripture, the Word of God, reading, studying, meditating on and responding to it, not just once in a while, but day by day is a good way to draw near to God. Prayer of all kinds, with or without words, ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) as the mnemonic reminds us, using prayer beads, arrow prayers, the Jesus Prayer, walking a labyrinth with feet or fingers, contemplative prayer, corporate prayer all enables us to draw near to God. Experiencing the wonder of and gratefulness for the awesomeness of the creation of our amazing Creator is another way by which we are able to draw near to God. It takes heartfelt attention and intention on our part.

When we do draw near to God, we begin to realize that God is indeed nearer than near, encompassing us with Divine Love, indwelling us with the power of the Holy Spirit, incarnating Godself through us to the world here and now.