Lyrics
You Draw Near To Sinners Like Us
Read together: Isaiah 57:15; Luke 15:1–2; Luke 19:1–10; Colossians 3:1–2
Have you ever wished God would just come and sit with you? Not to fix everything, not to lecture, but simply to be with you? This song begins with that longing in a beautiful image: On the front porch of my mind, Lord, would You come and sit with me—in the quiet, in the stillness, in my need and frailty.
Then it holds two truths side by side: God, You know my frame is but dust, while You, O Lord, are high and lifted up—yet You draw near to sinners like us.
That is one of the great wonders of the Bible. Read Isaiah 57:15. "For this is what the high and exalted One says—He who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" God's holiness does not keep Him far from humble sinners. It is precisely the humble and broken whom He draws near to.
Jesus lived this out. Read Luke 15:1–2. "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'" What the religious leaders meant as an accusation is actually the best news in the world. Jesus welcomes sinners.
Read Luke 19:1–10. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, was despised in his town. He climbed a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus. But Jesus stopped, looked up, and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today." The crowd grumbled that He had gone to be the guest of a sinner. But Zacchaeus's life changed that day, and Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Jesus did not just tolerate sinners from a distance. He invited Himself to their homes. He sat on their porches.
The second verse describes the response to that kind of nearness: As I confess my sin before You and turn away, I call out Your name, for You are always faithful to forgive, always merciful in my shame. Nearness to Jesus always leads to honesty and change.
The chorus moves into worship—Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty—and then into surrender: Bend my heart, take me apart; Lord, for Your glory, make me Yours.
The fourth verse asks God to set my mind on things above, not what man can break or bend. Read Colossians 3:1–2. "Since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
The bridge prays for revival—fan the flame of revival in our heart and frame—so that those we meet, seeing in us Your gospel and grace, may be changed like me, never again the same. People who have been met by Jesus become people who draw near to other sinners with His grace.
If you feel too sinful for God to come near, remember Zacchaeus. Jesus came looking for him. He is looking for you too.
A moment to respond: Find a quiet place—a porch, a chair by a window—and invite Jesus to "sit with you." Read Luke 19:1–10. Confess anything that stands between you and Him. Then ask Him to show you one "Zacchaeus" in your life—someone others avoid—whom you could draw near to with His grace.
Let's pray: Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, You are high and lifted up, yet You draw near to sinners like us. Thank You for welcoming sinners, for inviting Yourself into Zacchaeus's house, and for coming to sit with us in our frailty. We confess our sin and turn to You. Bend our hearts and make us Yours. Fan the flame of revival in us. Amen.
Our desire at UnrelentingJesus is that you would know the holy God who draws near to sinners—and invite Him to sit with you today.
