“…For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
In the gospel according to Matthew, the Lord Jesus reveals to us the essence of meeting God the Father, and being met and blessed by Him. He speaks of coming a part, in the aloneness with God, in a place where one is not distracted, in order to pray singularly to God, or as He put it, “…to pray to thy Father which is in secret.” (Matt. 6:6) It is there in the hidden place, the secret place, that the individual soul is called upon to seek, and find God, specifically the Father. There is a promise associated with this calling of God, and it is this: “…and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (v.6) There is a reward, or recompense, that God the Father gives to the seeking heart, the one who is willing to come His way to be alone with Him, to know Him. It is there in the quietness, and stillness, that the individual can know God, not just in an intellectual way by the objective truth, but by the very working of the Spirit in the heart and soul, to bring the believer into a concious assurance of God’s blessing and faithfulness. It is there that God reveals Himself to the heart, making impressions to be convictions according to the truth of His words.
The Lord Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, spoke of this matter of knowing God: “…and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (Jn. 14:21) He goes on to say that for the one who loves Him, and keeps His commandments, “…My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (v.23) The Spirit of God, in particular since the day of the outpouring at Pentecost, has been given to the beleiver to reveal the things of God to him. Paul goes on to write that the Spirit has been given, “…that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Cor. 2:12) Thus, in the quiet, aloneness with God, when the soul seeks the Father, according to His ways, the Father reveals Himself to the soul and heart. Christ becomes an increasing reality to the believer. W
When once the believer comes before the Father, sincerely seeking Him, what is the certain order, and assured “ways of God” to know and practice in one’s coming? How can one be sure to be accepted before the Father, have true communion with Him, and be in that place in heart and mind where God speaks, and becomes the greatest reality of the believer’s life. Beyond the absolute condition of coming in faith, believing that God IS and that He IS A REWARDER of them that seek Him, there is the matter of cleanness.
David, in Psalm 24, asks this question: “Who shall ascend into the house of the Lord? or who shall stand in his Holy place?” (v.3) He then answers his own question: “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” (v.4) All through Scripture we discover that in coming to God, all sin must be deal with. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he discoverd that he had unclean lips. For David here, he speaks of clean hands, the cleansing from the heart of all works that are sinful. He goes on to speak of the motivation of coming to God with a pure heart. Not only is cleansing sought for ALL sin, but also, the creating of a right spirit. One must come to God with right intent and purpose, not deceitfully or vainly.
Trusting entirely the Spirit of God to lead in worship, the believer then comes with reverential boldness into God’s presence, entering into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.
Dear Father, Teach us Thy way in prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.