Tuesday, May 8, 2012

come near to God


Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8 NIV





Have you ever wondered why you don't feel close to God? I have. Any time I felt that way, I have discovered that it was me keeping the distance.

James touches on this subject in James 4:8 “come near to God and He will come near to you”. He is basically saying, if you want to have a good relationship with God, work on your side of the relationship. He says this because God is near to us, if we are near to Him. Its never God that backs off in the relationship, its always us. It is our sinful state that needs to be worked on if we want to feel nearer to God again.

Look at what James says in the last half of the verse, “wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded”. He says that there are two things we need to take care of, to fix two problems that we have. We need to wash our hands because we are sinners. In other words we need to repent of our sins, ask forgiveness and wash our hands of the filth we have allowed ourselves to get into. We need to purify our hearts because we are double-minded. We also need to clean up our hearts, and get rid of whatever is sitting in God's place in our hearts. He says its because we are double-minded. We are double-minded because we don't have a singleminded focus on our relationship with God. We are trying to serve two masters, the world and God. We can't do both. Because we, “will be devoted to the one and despise the other”. Luke 16:13

So as always it takes a conscious effort on our part to to feel nearer to God. Today if you are feeling like distance has come between you and God, do what it takes to close that gap.“Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” and come near to God.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman


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