Scripture Reference: James 4:8, NKJV- “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
We were created to be near God. News flash, God has not moved.
John 1:1-2 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (NKJV) I had a random thought this morning in my prayer time. Have you ever thought about what physical or Spiritual form Jesus had when He was with God at the beginning? I am doubting that He was the little 8lb baby Jesus or the thirty-three-year-old, persecuted Jesus. I am not a Biblical scholar, but I am thinking that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were hovering above the waters in Genesis 1:2 as Spirit.
You and I were first created as spirit beings too. In fact, Psalm 139:13 tells us, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (NIV) For the sake of argument, just what is our “inmost being”?
I think this is our spirituality. God formed this first in us and this is where we should stay.
However, James 4:1 reminds us that we all have desires that battle within us. Both within factions of humans and within each human themselves. As James 4:3 warns us, we ask God for things and do not receive them because our motives are all wrong. We spend most of our lives chasing fleshly pleasures and lusts from the moment we wake up instead of turning to the Holy Spirit within us.
Drawing near is not proximity but spiritual closeness. James 4:4 calls us an adulterous people because we are cheating on God by choosing to be a friend of the world instead of Him. A friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. I do not believe any of us intentionally decide to be an enemy of God.
Let us be mindful of James 4:5 “Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.” (NLT) Several translations of this verse say that God yearns with jealousy for the Spirit He made to dwell in us.
Thankfully, James 4:6 also promises that God gives us even more grace when we humble ourselves. When we get off our human high horses and seek the Spirit of God within us, we find we are near God. In fact, James 4:7 even promises that when we, “Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you.” (CEV) We must surrender and resist.
I am reminded of Step 6 in Celebrate Recovery which states “We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” The biblical reference in CR is James 4:10 which promises “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (NIV) I remember always repeating this Biblical comparison with the special inflection in my voice stressing that He WILL lift us up. Do you want to be lifted from whatever your character defects are? Draw near to God and He WILL draw near to you.
Will you draw near to God today and experience the nearness of His Spirit within you? Let us live with God.
Today’s Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for drawing near to me every time I draw near to You. Forgive me for when I seek friendship with the world over living with You. I am humbled by Your love LORD and pray to be near in Spirit. I pray to be with You as Jesus is. In the name of Jesus, who was with You in the beginning, I am humbly praying. Amen.
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