THERE IS a favorite old hymn that says at the end of the chorus; “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer precious Lord, to thy precious, bleeding side!” Beautiful words to live by. When Jesus came to earth to show us the Father and when He went to cross to bring us to the Father, He drew us closer than man had ever been before. He has never moved! I have heard many preachers say; “draw close to God!” And I say; Amen!
WHEN my children were small and into their teen years, they either wanted to sit on my lap and later they would sit so close that they were almost on my lap. I loved it! I miss those days when they wanted to be so close to Mom and Dad. When Jennifer was a toddler she would push me away. It was difficult to understand why, but I eventually didn’t try to make her stay close to me. One day when she was about four she came into the house and over to where I was standing in front of the stove. She wrapped her little arms around my legs. I pushed her away, and said I was busy. She wandered off and suddenly it hit me! She wanted me and I turned her away. I never did that again, and God never does that to us!
I WONDER how many times God has wanted us to be close to Him and we have pushed Him away. I wonder how many times we have come and simply wrapped our aching hearts around Him and He wrapped His loving arms around us without recourse. How many times has He said to us; “How do I love thee, let me count the ways!” God loves us so much that He gave His only Son, so that we might be His forever.
“OR DO YOU suppose it is in vain that the scripture says; “He yearns jealously over the spirit which He has made to dwell in us? But He gives us more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:5-6 This is not the Holy Spirit that James is referring to. It is the spirit God has given each of us when our lives began. Our spirits are filled with fierce desires which can destroy us if we do not get a handle on them. He gives us grace to draw close to Him. What does God see in us that draws Him close to us!
“SO THEN, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.” James 4:7 God gives us the grace to overcome our human spirit! And God show us a better way of living even to cause others to follow His son; Jesus Christ! “Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He shows favor!” Proverbs 3:34 God frustrates the plans of the prideful but He gives grace to the humble so they can succeed. He is drawn to the humble!
THROUGH the Holy Spirit we have received power to resist the Devil and we have received power to do all things through Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are given grace to become all that God has created us to be. A man named Benson says: “We may chase away the Devil, not by holy water, the sign of the cross, or any superstitious charm, but by steady virtue and resolute goodness.”
“DRAW NEAR to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.” James 4:8 WOW! If we wish to have God very near to us we must seek to dwell very near to Him! This passage says we are to have clean hands and a pure heart. One of my favorite passages in Psalms says; “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of His salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” Psalms 24:3-6
IT IS CLEAR that we must get rid of those evil desires and bad motives which make us act in such contradictory ways. Don’t allow the world to take precedence in your lives. Instead Praise the God who draws near to us; so we can draw near to Him! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 9/11/15
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