Draw Near to God

James 4:8-10 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. What a powerful reassurance that if you are looking for the Lord, He will move closer to you. He will not hide Himself from you if you are in an ongoing relationship with Him or looking to begin one.

How does one draw near to the Lord? In the preceding verses James had been encouraging the reader to resist the devil, submit themselves to God, and humble themselves before the Lord. You may still ask, but how does one do these things?

Resisting the devil would entail resisting evil thoughts, words, and actions. Keep your thoughts, words, deeds, and heart pure before the Lord. Purify your hearts. Do not be double-minded in that you are claiming to seek the Lord, but all the while you allow sin to make itself home in your heart and body.

How do you submit to God? We know that He wants us to turn from our sins through repentance, so cleanse your hands of sin. Stop getting dirty in unclean thoughts, words, deeds, and strive to bring Him honor and glory with holy living.

How do we humble ourselves before God? Consider how much you have sinned against God and let that turn your laughter into mourning because you understand that you have grieved the God of all creation. Beg Him for mercy in earnest; understanding that it is only by His grace can you be forgiven and pardoned from the sins you have committed.

It’s important to remember that if you want God to draw near to you, then you must also draw near to Him in sincerity. As the priests would purify themselves, so you should seek to purify your hearts, your lips, and your minds through repentant prayer. If you do not hear from Him right away, keep praying. Keep reading His word. Keep your mind on Him. As someone who is in love and wants to get the attention of the person their heart is captivated with, show the Lord through that your heart is captivated with Him.

He will draw near to you.