Drawing Closer Blog

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still! And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39 NKJV)

Going through storms in life is a bummer. As frustrating as they may be, they are certain to come. There is no way around them, sometimes we have to go through them.

Satan sends these storms to distract our attention away from what God wants to do in our lives. If we get our eyes on what satan is doing rather than on what God is doing, we will forget the great things God has in store for us. If satan can distract us, he can cause our faith to shrink, our joy to vanish and our peace to leave. We will question everything in our lives. We can even begin to question whether God loves us. That is satan’s plan.

The great news is we can choose to focus on how great God is, rather than the size of the waves in the storm. If we keep our eyes on the “Calmer of the Storm” instead of on the storm itself, it will greatly change the effect the storm has on your life. Although you have to go through the storm, you don’t have to allow it to affect you.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 NKJV)

Philippians 4:4-9 gives a great blueprint for keeping your peace in storms. First, and most importantly, we must rejoice. It was so important Paul said it twice! You don’t have to rejoice because of the storm, you must rejoice in spite of the storm. You may have to tell God you don’t like the circumstances, but you praise Him anyway. If we praise in the midst of a storm, it drives satan crazy. He thinks he can take us out by sending storms, but he has no idea what to do if we give God praise during difficult times.

Second, we must continue in prayer with thanksgiving. Too often we complain with griping. If we keep the focus on the fact that God is the answer and talk to Him about the answer, rather than talking to everyone else about the problem, it will bring peace in our lives.

Lastly, focus on good things rather than the bad things. Satan wants to cause us to see the negative in everything so we will have no peace. If we focus on the good and praiseworthy things, our peace will return.

You may be going through storms in your life; Jesus is the “Calmer of the Storm.” Don’t neglect your time with God in the midst of the storm, rather spend more time with God. He is the answer. Keep your focus on God. He is there with an outstretched hand waiting to help.

If you would like to hear the sermon this devotional, you can hear it in the player below.   I pray it will be a blessing to you and help you conquer during this time of storm in your life.

Draw close to God, and He WILL draw close to you!

In His Service

Rev. Jeremy Mahurin

And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” Numbers 11:23 NKJV

Has God promised you something but it has yet to come to pass? This time of waiting can often cause a believer to become a doubter. Satan is the master deceiver and uses this crack in the door as his opportunity to dissuade Christians.

We must not allow the enemy to cause us to doubt the Word of God. We must say like Sarah in Hebrews 11:11, “He who has promised is faithful!” If you are in a season of waiting right now, lay hold of the promise of God. Don’t fall into doubt and unbelief and let your answer be stolen from you.

Get the right picture of God. He is our Heavenly Father and is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him. He is faithful to deliver on His promises as the scripture at the top of this devotional shows. He wants us to have an abundant life.

Get the right picture of you. If God has promised, He will deliver. Quit telling yourself you are unworthy to receive what God has promised or that somehow you messed up to cause the answer to not come. You are the child of the Most High God, heir of God, joint heir with Jesus. Act like it! Don’t let a negative opinion of yourself rob you of the promise God has for you.

Don’t let satan use the time of waiting as an opportunity to cause you to become disillusioned. Instead, use it as a time to build your faith in God. He is worthy of our trust. What God has promised, He is able and willing to deliver. Stand on that promise today.

God Bless You

Draw Close to God and He WILL Draw Close to You!

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.  2 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV

Today I want to talk about the keys to not growing weary in serving God.  It is possible to get weary even when we are doing good things.  We don’t simply get weary because we are doing the wrong things.

When we first get saved we feel on top of the world.  We are willing to do whatever God wants us to do.  We aren’t scared to go to the inner cities; we will attack hell with a squirt gun.  Enthusiasm gushes from us.  However, over time that enthusiasm seems to wane.  We want to keep the excitement, but over time we just seem to get tired.

I recently preached a message entitled 7 Keys To Not Getting Weary.  (There is a link to purchase this sermon below)  Today I want to talk about one of those seven keys.  Many of us are familiar with the following passage from Isaiah 40:

Isaiah 40:29-31  He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.  30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,  31  But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

I want to bring out something about this passage that most have not heard.  The term “wait” on the Lord is not a passive action.  I looked up the Hebrew word for wait used in this scripture.  It means “to bind together” or “to hope in.”  It does not mean to sit back and do nothing.  If we want to renew our strength and not be weary we must bind ourselves together with God and place our hope in Him.  I love the picture of being bound together with God.  It means to braid strands together as a rope.  The reason I love this picture is because when something is pulling on me, they are pulling on God.  I don’t have to rely only on my own strength, His strength can bear the weight.  When pressure tries to get me to snap, they will have to snap God’s strength.  Therefore, if I will bind myself together with God, my strength is renewed and I will not grow weary.

Don’t depend on your own strength.  Bind yourself together with God.  Place your hope in Him and His strength rather than trusting yourself.  If you do that, you will grow in strength and nothing will be able stop you.  You are connected to the greatest power source available.  Don’t let the enemy sap your strength.  Let him pull on God.  I don’t think that will go too well for him.  I love defeating the enemy and putting him to flight.

If you will lean on God, you can continue doing good without growing weary.  If you would like information on purchasing a CD or MP3 download of this teaching with all 7 Keys To Not Getting Weary you can visit www.drawingcloser.org/7keystonotgettingweary.htm You can purchase this sermon for $5.  I truly believe it will be a blessing to you and will help you keep your strength as you serve God.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT

“I suspect God is more excited about your future than you are.” – Ron Edmondson

I saw this quote by Ron Edmondson on Facebook today and it excited me.  I love to talk about the great things God wants to do in the lives of His children.  One of the major things I have learned about God is He longs for His children to be successful.  Being successful means different things to different people, but God wants to give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)  However, it took me years to realize God felt that way about me.  Undoubtedly, at that time God was far more excited about my future than I was.  After I realized God had great things in store for me, my mindset began to change.  I started taking time to talk to God about the future He wanted me to have.  The visions of my future God gave me blew my mind.  I could sense God’s excitement as He placed these dreams in my spirit.  While I was overwhelmed, my expectation began to grow.  I am beginning to grasp what God has planned for me, but I know He has more in store than I can even imagine.

God is excited about your future, too.  He is not just excited about the future for your pastor or parents or overachieving friend.  He is excited about YOU! It is time for us to get excited about our future, too.

I am always amazed when people talk about how they won’t ask God for something in their future because it is “too big.”  Isn’t it funny how we think sometimes?  The God who created the universe with His words, but we are afraid to ask for something because we think He won’t do it for us.  We need to change our picture of how God sees us.  The scripture I quoted says that we have never seen, heard or even imagined the things God has prepared for His children.  How frustrating it must be for Him when He has something great planned for us, but we put Him and ourselves in a box with our tiny thinking.  Let God out your box, let Him have control of your life and see what He is able to do.

Continue passionately pursuing God and His will for your life.  Live according to God’s word and you will see His promises come to pass in your life.  Don’t let God have all the fun being excited.  Get excited right along with Him.

He has things in store that our minds can’t even comprehend and they are waiting for us to take hold of them.

I was the guest on The Devotion Cafe radio show on 2/21/12.  I talked about how I learned about the secret place and how my life had been changed.  Following is the archived version of the show.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts, comments or questions below.

Tomorrow morning I will be on LIVE with The Devotion Cafe radio show at 8:30 CST.  I will be telling my story about how I went from a casual prayer life to finding the secret place and the changes that occurred in my life.

If you want a more intimate relationship with God, this show will be for you.  In addition to telling about the change in my life, I will be sharing some advice on how you can revolutionize your time with God.

The link for the broadcast is: http://bit.ly/ybfgGp

The show starts at 8:30 Central or 9:30 Eastern.  Hope to see you there.

Sweep Me Away
by Kari Jobe

Tears rolling down my face
Because of your love,
And your sweet embrace.
The peace that just overflows
It’s here that I know,
you have been waiting to

Sweep me away
Sweep me away in your love,
Where nothing else matters
Sweep me away
Sweep me away in your love,
Where nothing else matters.

God is bigger than your problems!

As I spent time in the secret place this morning, this song was playing and this verse really hit me hard.  “It’s HERE that I know you have been waiting” is an awesome line.  I know I talk about this often, but I think we need reminded how much God wants to be with us.

I have been going through a difficult time with a lot of questions and demands on my time over the past couple months.  The thing that has kept me going is my time with God in the secret place.  One time in particular I went to my secret place with my mind and emotions in an uproar.  I pled, “God, I need your peace and direction right now.”  His love and peace swept over me, just like the song says.  I went from feeling like life was knocking me around to the peace and love of God in an instant.

The words of the song are totally accurate; He was waiting in the secret place waiting to sweep me away in His love.  When we are in turmoil, God is desperately waiting for us to ask for His help.  He won’t take our burdens for us until we ask.  So, He patiently waits for us to come to Him.

In the times of the greatest upheaval in my life, God was right there waiting to take me to that place of love and peace where the problems of life fade away.  When we bask in the presence of God Almighty, nothing seems as large.  Problems seem small, because God is so great.  The key is learning to go to Him.

Don’t try to face the problems of life alone.  God wants nothing more than to take the weight of your burdens from you.  He doesn’t want us living in fear, worry and pain.  He wants us to live in His love and peace, knowing He will take care of us.

Next time problems strike in your life, or if you are facing them now, go to the secret place.  Enter into His presence.  He will be right there waiting to sweep you away in His love.

If you have a story of a time God swept your problems away, I would love for you to share it.  You can post it in the blog or Facebook comments below.  Thanks for sharing, I know it will help encourage others.

If you would like more information on the secret place, I have some resources available that would be worth your investment.  I have recently released an audio teaching on the secret place.  It will provide you with the information you need to set up your secret place and unlock the power of the presence of God in your life.  It will encourage you and empower you to start this exciting journey no matter the state of your prayer life now.  I guarantee your life will never be the same if you apply the principles taught in the series.  Click on the text link below to get your copy of this teaching now!  It is also available in MP3 format for immediate download.

Link to bookstore:  http://www.drawingcloser.org/bookstore.htm

The term “secret place” was a mystery to me for a long time. I thought it meant several things that it didn’t really mean. In my devotional today, I want to tell you what it means to me.

The secret place means intimacy with God to me. There is no part of the secret place that excites me more than finding a place of intimacy with God. Solitude is necessary for intimacy. Whether you are talking about God, your spouse or your kids, you must have time alone with them to get to know everything about them. My willy nilly prayer times did not produce the intimacy I desired to have with God. It required getting rid of the distractions and being alone with Him. When I did that, I found a place of intimacy with God I never could have imagined. I learned so much about Him and how He felt about me. If that was the only benefit of the secret place, it would be more than worth the time investment. Find your secret place and experience an intimate relationship with God, you will be so glad you did.

The secret place means rest to me. When the world gets the better of me, I need a place where I can find rest for my soul. I have found my place of rest in the secret place. No matter what I have gone through, when I go to the secret place, turn on some worship music and ask God for His rest and peace, I find the rest that I need. If life gets you down and makes you feel emotionally and spiritually exhausted, the secret place is the answer for you.

The secret place means guidance to me. As a self-employed business owner and minister I am in constant need of guidance. Since starting the habit of spending time in the secret place, I have made the Holy Spirit the CEO of my ministry and business. I make no major decisions without spending time in the secret place talking to the Holy Spirit about it. God has helped me avoid pitfalls and take advantage of opportunities. Some people think God doesn’t want to hear about your work life. Nothing could be further from the truth. God cares about every area of your life. He wants you to be successful and wants to give you the guidance you need.

The secret place means conversation with God to me. Contrary to what some people think, God didn’t quit talking at the final “Amen” of Revelation. He still talks to us today. It is so cool to be talking to God in the secret place and have Him answer you immediately. It is difficult to have a two way conversation with God in any other setting. There are too many pull on your time and attention for you to stay focused on God and what He has to say. God has answers to your questions and problems, but we have to be prepared to listen for His response. The secret place has been what I needed to facilitate these powerful conversations.

The secret place means a place to dream to me. God has placed greatness in each of us. He puts dreams and visions in our hearts and minds. It is easy to lose the passion for your dreams in the craziness of life. Spending time with God in the secret place has given Him the opportunity to fuel my passion for the God-given dreams in my life. God placed a dream in my heart several years ago. It was a big dream that was going to require real growth in me to accomplish. God has helped me in the past couple of years to mature and grow in many areas of my life. A few weeks ago while I was in my secret place, God brought my dream back into my mind. He reignited my passion for it and showed me the steps I needed to begin to take to see that dream become a reality in my life. God used our time together to allow me to dream. It was so cool for me. At the end I said, “Thank You for taking this time to dream with me.” It was a great time of empowerment for me. I realized that what God had placed in my heart several years earlier was going to come to pass.

The secret place means a new life to me. My life has changed so drastically since I started spending time in the secret place. God wants to spend time with us and He greatly rewards us when we make Him a top priority. Every area of my life has been changed as my relationship with God has changed. I know it will do the same for you.

If you would like more information on the secret place, I have some resources available that would be worth your investment. I have recently released an audio teaching on the secret place. It will provide you with the information you need to set up your secret place and unlock the power of the presence of God in your life. It will encourage you and empower you to start this exciting journey no matter the state of your prayer life now. If you buy the CD version by January 26, you will receive a bonus! I will give you a free copy of my book entitled The Secret Place: Unlocking the Power of the Presence of God. I guarantee your life will never be the same if you apply the principles taught in the series. Click on the photo of the series or text link below to get your copy of this teaching now! It is also available in MP3 format for immediate download.
Link to Drawing Closer Ministries Bookstore

I shared the following message a few weeks ago. I believe that acting on the content will change every area of your life. It is only ten minutes long, so invest a few moments for your future.