My heart has heard you say “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8
Come: to move or travel toward or into; approach; move closer
What do you think of when you hear this word? To me, I am thinking of it as a command. As moms, when we say “come here,” it is a directive that we expect our children to follow. It’s a word often born from a spirit of protection or provision. We tell our kids to come take a bath, come out of the road or out of the rain, come in to eat supper, come to bed, come for a hug, come to the kitchen for a treat or snack, or come for correction/direction. It is a word spoken with purpose and intentionality, and one that expects a response from the person being called.
What purposes does the Bible speak of in regards to us coming to Jesus? Who does He call to “come” to Him? What reasons does He give for calling us to come? Well, first of all, He tells us that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us (James 4:8). That’s a pretty good reason, because I WANT Him near me, but first I have to choose to be near Him! He calls the weary and heavy-laden (Matthew 11:28-30), those who want eternal life (John 5:40), those who are thirsty and want to hear Jesus (Is. 55:1-13), those drawn to Jesus by the Father (John 6:44), those given to Jesus by the Father (John 6:37), those seeking peace (John 14:27, Phil. 4:8), and those who are anxious (Phil. 4:6).
As I’ve been pondering this word over the last week or so, it’s the picture of my heavenly Father. It’s God calling us, wooing us to Himself…for provision, for protection, for refuge, for eternal life, etc. I can envision Jesus tenderly motioning for me to come to Him. I see both of His nail-scarred hands, palms up, motioning gently down in front of Him. He is telling me where to sit and find rest (right at His feet), and where to lay my burdens, problems, concerns, and struggles (at the foot of the cross) so He can carry them for me!
Are we listening to this directive from Jesus, today? Are we being intentional and obedient in coming to Him? Are we laying our burdens at His feet and asking Him to take them for us? Are we aware of our needs in this life…and of the fact that there is only One who can meet all of them? Are we coming with expectancy, believing that He will take our anxiety and replace it with His peace that passes understanding? Are we allowing our earthly existence to burden and shackle us, or are we responding to Jesus’ directing us to the Source of everything we need?
Lord, Jesus, we thank you for this simple but important command you are giving us. With your love and through your death on that cruel cross, you are calling us to come to you, for you will supply all our needs, according to Your glorious riches. Lord, help us to open our hearts, to hear your voice, to respond to you as a lamb responds to his shepherd, by coming quickly and obediently to your side! Thank you for loving us enough to call us to you! In Jesus’ name, Amen!