Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)
There are so many great lessons and commands for all of us in James 4. Followers of Jesus are called to humility, submitting to God, resisting the devil, and living at peace with one another. I love the invitation and promise that James stated in verse 8. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Based on the previous verse, it only makes sense that after we submit to God’s authority and resist the devil and flee from him, that we would naturally draw near to God.
What consumes you the most during your waking hours in a given week? For most of us it would be work, family life, and church. What would it look like to draw near to God throughout the day? No matter what is happening in your life, drawing near to God means drawing near to Him in worship, praise, and prayer. We should be making God our top priority in everything we say, think, and do. It also means asking the counsel of God. Whatever is happening in your day, like a big decision at work, how to explain grace to your kids, or dealing with a disruptive neighbor, we should always be seeking God’ wisdom and guidance. Drawing near to God means making God our first priority in every situation. Drawing near to God means enjoying communion with God. Spending time with God in the morning before the busyness of life overwhelms us is so important in how we relate to others. I find that I am usually impatient with others or quick to say hurtful words to people I love when I don’t spend time with God to start my day.
The benefits of drawing near to God is the promise that God will draw near to us. When God draws near to us, there are so many benefits for our lives each day. Drawing near to God helps us to resist the devil. Drawing near to God helps us to become pure. Drawing near to God helps us to sorrow for sin. Drawing near to God helps us to speak well of others. Drawing near to God helps us to think of eternal things. Just as we need food and water for our daily sustenance of life here on earth, we need to remember each day to go to our Power source who gives us everything that we need each day to live and serve Him.