Draw Near to God Ps. 73:28 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

It is so easy to be drawn away from the Lord.  Asaph was in Psalm 73.  Therefore, we must draw near to God.

Draw near to God when:

You are drawn away by envy – Ps 73:2-3 – Christians can feel cheated sometimes when they think that their friends in the world are the ones who get to have all the “fun.”   They seem to be the ones who prosper and don’t have the trouble and suffering that often accompanies the life of a faithful Christian.  When I was a teenager, I was certainly envious of the foolish.

You are drawn away by pride – Ps 73:6-9 – men of the world speak loftily.  They think nothing of taking the Lord’s name in vain and of talking of wickedness.  It makes them “cool.”  It is easy to let your pride draw you away from the Lord and into the lofty and wicked conversations of the world.

You are drawn away by covetousness – Ps 73:12 – it is not uncommon for the wicked to prosper in the world and increase in riches.  The pursuit of wealth [the deceitfulness of riches] can certainly draw you away from the Lord. I was certainly enticed by the pursuit of wealth and status as a young banker.  This covetousness drew me far from the Lord.

You must consider their end – Ps 73:17-22 – these three things nearly tripped Asaph [Ps 73:2].  But before he was completely drawn away, he went into the sanctuary [like us going to a good Bible preaching church] and considered their end.  Men of the world who pursue these things end up desolate and destroyed [broken homes, dissipated health, bankrupt, lost, and so forth].  And they wind up in hell, to boot.

Asaph said he was “so foolish” for being drawn away by them.  So, he drew near to God.

When you draw near to God:

He strengthens you – Ps 73:23 – eh holds you by your right hand.  Your right hand is commonly your strong hand.  So, the Lord strengthens you in a way that no man in the world can be strong.

He guides you – Ps 73:24 – he gives you his counsel and direction so that you are in the right place at the right time.  Men of the world know nothing of the Lord’s great counsel.

He fellowships with you – Ps 73:23, 25 – you delight in him and he delights in you.  When you find this contentment in the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing the world offers has any “pull” on you.  You see the vanity of the world’s pursuits and you don’t envy them or covet them.  You are happier humbled before God than you would be proud in the world.

You will have some stories to tell – Ps 73:28 – Asaph said, “that I may declare all thy works.”  Oh, there will be many stories to tell of all that the Lord does for you when you draw near to God.

Conclusion: draw near to God and don’t let the allurement of the world draw you away from him.