Drawing Near
Encouragement for the Bride of Christ
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Your Love Your love sets His heart on fire Whirling tears of great desire Meet with Him in holy place Anchor firm within this grace Radiant joy upon His face Twirling dance in happy place Joyful sparks He sends awhirl Before Him they do glad unfurl Pierced heart deep to stay within Happy grin upon your chin For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6 Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. – Psalm 97:11-12 ----- Secret Garden We are all blessed with a secret space where we can meet with God. I’m not talking about a physical space but a very real conscious place that is reserved for our meeting with Him alone. The Lord describes His Father as the husbandman or gardener, and I like this metaphor the best. I love to garden and enjoy the land, the produce, and especially the flowers. Consequently, when I meet with Jesus, I frequently invite Him into my garden. Funny. I’ve never really pictured what’s in my garden. I just know it is beautiful, with running water and plants of a great variety, tended very carefully. As I was thinking on this one day, I asked the Lord if we might meet in His garden. Immediately, I caught the whisp of a picture. We were standing on the outskirts of a field along the edge. We were in dappled shade. Large trees of some kind were along the border. Grasses waved gently in the breeze. We were facing each other. In my heart, there was a question that Jesus immediately knew. “Where were the flowers?” Were there no flowers for me in this place set apart for the two of us? But He soon satisfied my heart to overflowing when He said, “You are the only flower in this garden!” My heart burst out, “I am Yours! And You are mine!” Oh, how He satisfies my heart! I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies. – Song of Solomon 6:3
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About the Book
“[Drawing Near] has the personability and poetry of L. B. Cowman’s Streams in the Desert, the wisdom and depth of Oswald Chambers’s My Utmost for His Highest, and the sense of fellowship and presence of the Holy Spirit offered in Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling.” – Rev. JeBryan Reiter What does it mean to draw near to God? The short reflections and inspirational poems in this second installment of the Bride of Christ series help you ponder this very question. Beautiful illustrations and quotes from Scripture go along with author Jo Gwost’s clear style and personal voice to open a deeper understanding of God's love for us and how we can draw nearer to Him by accepting that love and helping others do the same. Personal memories and expressions of praise, longing, encouragement through suffering and hardship, and love for God characterize this follow-up to Gwost’s debut meditative collection, Submitted Unto Perfection: Reflections for the Bride of Christ.
About the Author
Jo Gwost is a devote practicing Christian and the author of Submitted Unto Perfection: Reflections for the Bride of Christ. Her writing has grown out of a practice of daily journaling, her passion for Jesus, and her desire to help others become mature in the Lord. She is the mother of six and the grandmother of fourteen. She was born to a young farming couple in central Minnesota and is the third child, the eldest daughter, of twelve. She has lived in various states throughout the Midwest and currently resides in St. Cloud, Minnesota.