A Place of Quiet Rest ~ Near to the Heart of God

1. There is a place of quiet rest,
   Near to the heart of God;
   A place where sin cannot molest,
   Near to the heart of God.

• Refrain:
  O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
  Sent from the heart of God;
  Hold us, who wait before Thee,
  Near to the heart of God.

1. There is a place of comfort sweet,
   Near to the heart of God;
   A place where we our Savior meet,
   Near to the heart of God.

1. There is a place of full release,
   Near to the heart of God;
   A place where all is joy and peace,
   Near to the heart of God.

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"Near To The Heart of God" is one of my favorite hymns. I love modern worship music, well some of it anyway but there is just something profound about the lyrics in the old hymnals.

Cleland B. McAfee wrote this hymn in 1903 after the death of two infant nieces. The entire town was grief stricken and McAfee, who was a worship leader, did what he knew how to do and wrote this amazing song.

This hymn draws us into James 4:8 which reads "Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world." (NLT)

The further we travel away from the heart of God the more room we give our enemy to bring chaos in our lives. Living out our lives in the very heart of God is the safest place to be! We must live in this world, minister to this world and suffer this world until it's our turn to die or Jesus returns. While we are here we need to keep our hearts right in the center of God's heart. To stray left or right of center gets us into a lot of trouble.

1 Timothy 2:8
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.

Pray. Lift up your hands. Don't be angry or quarrel. Prayer keeps us right where we need to be. We can use prayer flippantly sometimes but the reality of the power of prayer is something we should investigate. Prayer helps us keep tethered to the heart of God when our Enemy is prowling around us. Merely speaking the name of Jesus can make the devil run and every demon tremble and flee.

Job 17:9
Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger

Stay strong! Don't allow yourself to be pulled one way or the other. Jesus is the only One with the right to direct your path. Be righteous and don't let anyone, even those you respect, tell you something contrary to what is in God's Word. If you meditate on His Word you cannot be easily moved. Read as if your life depends on it because it does! Post scriptures in your home. Read them as you prepare dinner or brush your teeth. Let the living words of Jesus send you to sleep at night. Let prayers and scriptures greet Him each morning. These things will make your anchor in the heart of Jesus even stronger.

Isaiah 1:16
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong

Confess sin. Confess it often and sincerely. Don't make light of your confessions. Take sin seriously and see it for the disease that it is. Scour every inch of your life for the telltale signs of sin. Every thought, every action, every spoken word should be examined. Search your heart with the light of the World as a filter. When you find the darkness in you then confess it and repent! Don't be Lot's wife and look back! Turn and run away from it as fast as you can.

Remember that "worldly-mindedness is enmity with God." Don't think that you can shake hands with the sins of this world and then worship at the glorious feet of Christ. Even the angels did not dare to show their feet to Holy God. They used their wings to cover their feet in his presence. Don't think that any sin is too small to matter - it all matters to Jesus.

Submit your will to His. Submit all that you have to the control of Jesus Christ. "All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt one who humbles himself before him."

We have to wash ourselves of our sins and run to God. Never straying too far from Him to explore the darkness of this world. We are to be "in it" but not "of it."

So, the next time you wash your hands apply it to your heart. As you watch the lather growing in your hands and you smell the scent of the soap search your heart. Search your thoughts and intentions as you scrub your hands intently. Ask Jesus to scrub your heart with the same vigor. Holding your hands under the warm water and letting the soap and dirt slip away, thank your Merciful Savior that He has forgiven your sins and loves you with unimaginable grace and mercy.

-Marilyn