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James 4:8 - Drawing Near to God.James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.James 4:8 (ESV) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT How can you come close to God? James gives five ways: (1) "Humble yourselves before God" (4:7). Yield to his authority and will, commit your life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. (2) "Resist the devil" (4:7). Don't allow Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) "Wash your hands [and] purify your hearts" (that is, lead a pure life) (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing the desire to sin with the desire to experience God's purity. (4) "Let there be tears for what you have done" (4:9). Don't be afraid to express deep, heartfelt sorrow for what you have done. (5) "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor" (4:10; also see 1 Peter 5:6). Recognize that your worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on his power and guidance and not going your own independent way. Although we do not deserve God's favor, he wants to lift us up and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. (For more on drawing near to God, see Hebrews 10:19-22.) [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARLS God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness. SC 55 Draw nigh to Him by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His Word... Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh unto God. OHC 96 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 Pro. 18:10). DA 131 COMMENTARY Christiania was waiting for a train in Vienna. The 31-year-old woman was listening to music with earphones when two drunk men grabbed her from behind and tried to throw her onto the train tracks. Suddenly, a stranger stepped between Christiania and the two thugs, pushed them away, and allowed her to get onto her train. Her rescuer got onto another train, and she never discovered who he was. She regrets never telling him thank you. Each of us has an enemy stalking us. "Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Today's Bible promise is written in the context of fighting against the temptation to become friends with the world (James 4:4). Victory comes to those who admit they need help and turn to God. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (v. 7). We do not fight Satan by ourselves. We are promised that if we "draw near to God," "He will draw near to [us]" (v. 8). We can picture this "drawing near" to God as something that happens in peace and quietness, but James encourages us, during our struggles, to humble ourselves and earnestly come close to the Lord. When you struggle with sin, he says to "cleanse your hands ... purify your hearts. Lament and mourn and weep! ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (vv 8-10). When Satan tries to trap you, do not submit to his temptations and lies. Resist him and cling to Jesus. He will stand between you and the enemy when you turn to Him. He will rescue you with His presence. Dear Jesus, in times of spiritual conflict, I will draw near to You. May Your presence protect me. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] ILLUSTRATION I closed my laptop, feeling irritated. The same person in my social media feed kept appearing. Brenna often posted about her unhurried prayer time, rich Bible-reading practices, and exciting answers to prayer. Her spiritual life seemed so robust! Distracted prayers on the morning commute and Bible verses on Post-it notes were often my best efforts to connect with Jesus. I envied the vibrant spirituality I lacked in my hurried life. My irritation and comparison kept recurring each time I saw Brenna's posts. I wondered if I was doing something wrong because I didn't have "hey, look at this!" faith experiences. I started doubting that Jesus even heard my prayers, though I had no evidence other than my feelings. Ironically, one day at school, I was helping a fourth-grade girl who struggled with similar comparison and jealousy issues online when I had an aha experience of Jesus interacting with me. As I worked with Molly to reframe her thinking by focusing on positive things in her life, I realized the words I told her were the exact same ones I needed to hear. I needed to stop comparing my experiences to others. Like Molly, I reframed my thinking. Instead of envying, I became mindful of Jesus's presence in positive, ordinary occurrences. With a new curiosity, I began thanking Jesus for little things - pleasant conversations, a safe commute, and enough finances to buy groceries. And I spent less time on social media. Good advice for Molly and me! Brenda L. Yoder Faith Step: Do something to reframe your thinking. Maybe it's thanking Jesus often for simple pleasures and everyday experiences or spending less time online. Notice how this draws you closer to Jesus. [Mornings With Jesus 2025 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY James 4:8 - Drawing Near To God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250404-1308.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240203-0843.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221019-0824.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220626-0906.html 1 Peter 5:5, 6 - Humility; Avenue of Grace. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230417-0901.html Psalm 145:18 - God Is Near To All Who Call On Him Sincerely In Truth. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250217-1531.html 2 Chronicles 15:2b - Our Relationship With God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090901-1057.html Revelation 3:20 - An Invitation For Relationship With Divinity. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220506-0938.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |