Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
God delights to dwell among people who seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13) and call on Him (Psalm 145:18)…in a word, “want Him.” A heart cry above our needs and circumstances (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Such a time is that for Hebron. His presence depends not even on our desire, but is borne of His character. It was His good pleasure to give us the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Are we sufficiently gobsmacked by that? The gift of the Kingdom is the antidote for concerns and worry…belonging to, living under, and sharing in the rule of King Jesus.
Note that James 4:8 connects drawing close to God with repentance. This is to say, if we “want Him” in the sense “we want to want Him,” then there is no room for saying we don’t want Him when it interferes with our lives. It’s really not about “our lives,” but allowing King Jesus to work through us. There are things we individually and corporately need to nail to the cross if we are to be a body in whose midst God is pleased to dwell.
Hebron communicates that God Himself is wanted when its corporate life says we want to hear what God says…and do it (John 14:23) and are willing to make room for Him (Revelation 3:20), not merely reworking our schedules, programs, and activities but seeking what He wants to do among us.
Take a look at 1 Corinthians 14:24–25. Paul imagines an unbeliever coming into the gathered church and encountering God through what is happening among the believers. The result is “the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” Paul isn’t describing a church merely talking about God’s presence, but one where an outsider concludes “God is actually here.”
Let’s cultivate a posture of welcome, obedience, dependence, repentance, worship, and attentiveness that says, “God is wanted here.” The church (his people) is the place God chose to inhabit (1 Corinthians 3:16). What would it look like if Hebron lived as though we genuinely believe God already dwells among us, and that we actually want Him to have His way?
Dan Gallagher, Stewardship Team