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Draw Near

 

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

What an awesome promise this is. God doesn’t force us to draw close to Him, but He does promise that if we take the first step and start seeking Him, He will draw near to us. In the second part of that verse, the Bible tells us what we need to do in order to take that first step, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” In other words, stop trying to please both God and the flesh, and – get rid of the darkness that is in your life. God doesn’t abide where there is darkness, if we want to know Him personally and have daily fellowship with Him, we’ve GOT to get rid of what is not pleasing to Him in our lives.

Now, many of us, rather than just saying, “Yes, I want to know God, so I’m going to do whatever it takes…”, we make arguments about why it’s not necessary to have that close relationship with God, OR we make excuses as to why it’s impossible for us to do it.

We argue, “It’s impossible”, but God says all things are possible – “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)


We argue, “I’m just too tired”, but God tells us He will give us rest – “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)


We argue, “I can’t figure things out”, but God tells us He will direct us – “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:6)


We argue, “It’s not worth it”, but God says His plan is perfect – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,” (Romans 8:28)


We argue, “It’s just too stressfull for me”, but God tells us not to worry about anything – “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)


We argue, “I’m not smart enough”, but God says all we have to do is ask Him for wisdom – “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5)


We argue, “I feel like I’m headed down this road alone”, but God says He is always with us – “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

So, basically, there is NO excuse that is good enough to keep us from drawing near to God. His promises are always true, His love for us is amazingly abundant, and His mercy and grace are beyond our ability to comprehend.

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