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James 4:8, 9 - Drawing Near To God.

James 4:8, 9 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He 
will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you 
sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 
Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be 
turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  

James 4:8, 9 (NIV) Come near to God and he 
will come near to you. Wash your hands, you 
sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to 
mourning and your joy to gloom. 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Our youngest cat, Princess Di, is a 
mixture of loving and mean. And when she's mean, 
she's a bully. Dr. Phibes, the old man of my four 
kitties, loves to snooze on the back of my brown 
recliner. If Princess Di sees him, she'll leap onto 
the seat, stand up, and swat him in the face. 
When Dr. Phibes tries to escape her, she chases 
him around the house. 
   There's only one place Dr. Phibes can sit 
that's safe from this naughty cat. On my lap. If 
Dr. Phibes is curled up on my lap as I read at 
night or pray in the morning, Princess Di will 
walk over, see that I am holding the old cat, and 
quietly saunter away. 
   This is much like my relationship with 
Jesus. The closer I stay to Jesus, the more 
peaceful my life remains. I come near Him by reading 
His love letter (the Bible) and by talking to 
Him throughout my often-hectic days. I draw near 
to Him when I sing songs of praise and worship. 
I trust Him to hold me and keep me safe when 
danger approaches. 
   Just as Dr. Phibes is endangered by 
Princess Di, my faith in Jesus is endangered by the 
sharp claws of a mean word, the hissing of doubt, 
and the lurking worries that chase me. I can 
run, even try to hide from all that threatens to 
upset my serenity. But the best way to escape the 
enemy's tactics is to stay near to Jesus. He is my 
safe place. Jeanette Levellie 
   Faith Step: Envision yourself snuggled in 
Jesus's lap, safe, secure, and at peace. [Mornings 
With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and 
Zondervan] 

COMMENTARY

What do the 10 commands that fill James 
4:7-10 have to do with grace? 
   These verses contain a series of 10 
commands that prepare a person to receive saving 
grace. These commands delineate a person's response 
to God's gracious offer of salvation and reveal 
what it means to be humble. Each command uses a 
Greek imperative to define the expected action: 
   1. Submit to God (v. 7) - James used the 
word to describe a willing, conscious submission 
to God's authority as sovereign ruler of the 
universe. 
   2. Resist the devil (v. 7) - those who 
consciously "take [their] stand against" Satan and 
transfer their allegiance to God will find that Satan 
"will flee from" them; he is a defeated foe. 
   3. Draw near to God (v. 8) - pursue an 
intimate love relationship with God (Phil. 3:10). 
   4. Cleanse your hands (v. 8) - the added 
term "sinners" addresses the unbelievers' need to 
recognize and confess their sin (5:20). 
   5. Purify your hearts (v. 8) - cleansing 
the hands symbolizes external behavior; this 
phrase refers to the inner thoughts, motives, and 
desires of the heart (Ps. 24:3-4). 
   6. Lament (v. .9) - to be afflicted, 
wretched, and miserable. This is the state of those 
truly broken over their sin (Matt. 5:4). 
   7. Mourn (v. 9) - the internal experience 
of brokenness over sin (Ps. 51:17; Mat. 5:4). 
   8. Weep (v. 9) - the outward 
manifestation of inner sorrow over sin (Mark 14:72). 
   9. Grieve without laughter or joy (v. 9) 
- the signs of denial; the flippant laughter 
of those foolishly indulging in worldly 
pleasures without regard to God, life, death, sin, 
judgment, or holiness. 
   10. Humble yourself (v. 10) - this final 
command sums up the preceding 9. The word "humble" 
comes from a word meaning "to make oneself low." 
Those conscious of being in the presence of the 
majestic, infinitely holy God are humble (Is. 6:5). 
[MacArthur Daily Bible 2003] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

So we may resist temptation, and force Satan 
to depart from us, Jesus gained the victory 
through submission and faith in God, and by the 
apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore 
to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from 
you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to 
you."[1 James 4:7, 8.] We cannot save ourselves from 
the tempter's power; he has conquered humanity, 
and when we try to stand in our own strength, we 
shall become a prey to his devices; but "the name 
of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous 
runneth into it, and is safe." [2 Prov. 18:10.] 
Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul 
who finds refuge in that mighty name.  DA131 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

James 4:8 - Drawing Near To God.

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221019-0824.html 

James 4:8, 9 - Drawing Near To God.

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20111120-1627.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/