DRAWING NEAR

We treat God's presence like a luxury item in a catalog of spiritual goods. We save it for special occasions, believing it's something to be earned through good behavior or requested during a crisis. We assume it's a reward for our spiritual performance—a bonus for exceptional faith, a consolation prize after a significant failure. This framework turns our spiritual lives into a subtle negotiation, a constant monitoring of our own worthiness. We believe closeness to God is a conditional state, one that flickers on and off based on our actions, our feelings, or the gravity of our circumstances. We see it as a distant shore we must struggle to reach, rather than a current that is always available to carry us.

What if this entire model is built on a fundamental misunderstanding? What if God’s presence is the very source of devotion itself? This question began to haunt author and minister John Bevere. After years of teaching and writing, he noticed a pervasive pattern among sincere believers: a deep longing for intimacy with God that was perpetually frustrated by a sense of distance and duty. He saw people trying to earn what was already offered, striving to reach a destination where they were already invited to live. Bevere wrote Drawing Near to dismantle this flawed architecture of performance-based faith, showing that nearness to God is a home to be inhabited.

Module 1: The Core Motivation

Let's start with a foundational question the book poses. Why do you seek a relationship with God? Bevere argues that most believers fall into one of two camps. The first group seeks God for what He can do for them. Their focus is on blessings, deliverance, and personal benefit. The second group seeks God for who He is. They desire His presence above all else.

This distinction is critical. Bevere uses the Israelites as an example of the first group. They cried out for deliverance from Egypt. They rejoiced at miracles. But when hardship hit, their loyalty vanished. They were motivated by the what—the Promised Land. In contrast, Moses represents the second group. When God offered the Promised Land without His own presence, Moses refused. He said he would rather stay in the barren wilderness with God than enter a land of abundance without Him. Moses was motivated by the Who.

So here's the first major insight: God's primary desire is for an intimate relationship, not a transactional one. The author critiques a modern tendency to preach about what Jesus will do for us, rather than who He is. This creates consumers of blessing, not lovers of God. It's like marrying for money instead of for love. The entire purpose of salvation, Bevere argues, is to restore this intimate fellowship. The blessings are a byproduct of that fellowship.

From this foundation, we can see why this matters. If our motivation is wrong, our entire spiritual life becomes unstable. It becomes a rollercoaster of highs and lows based on our circumstances. But if our core desire is for God himself, our foundation is unshakable. This leads to a profound realization about our own value. You are infinitely valued by God, personally and individually. Bevere uses a powerful example from the Gospels. Jesus, exhausted, crosses a stormy sea to heal one single, demon-possessed man. After healing him, He immediately crosses back. The journey was for that one person. The author argues that God would have done the same for any one of us. Understanding this incredible, personal value is meant to be transformative. It makes a return to a lesser way of living seem completely irrational.