Food for ThoughtJames 4:8 Draw Near
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

James 4:8 Modern English Version

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you

Two things are clear and important here; the first is that God is waiting for us to lean toward Him and the second is that there is a promise for those who draw near to God.  He took the first step when He sent His Son, Jesus to take our place on the cross.  In that incredible gesture of love He removed any hindrance that would prevent us from drawing near to Him.  

But God is not pushy or demanding of our love.  He yearns longingly for us to turn toward Him with a sincere and willing heart.  He wants us to want Him with every fiber of our being  It is His great desire that we love Him without reservation;  As one who abandons everything to seek His face.   David, the Psalmist knew this desire well.

Jeremiah 29:13(ESV)

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

God’s promise is that our efforts to get closer to Him will be rewarded with His all encompassing and fulfilling presence.

In Drawing near to God we are given the opportunity to feel His peace; His strength and His grace in any and all situations.   It's His light that illumines our path and causes us to see things with the eyes of faith.   

Challenge:  We are on this earth to pursue God and walk continually in His presence.  We must draw close to Him and He will draw close to us.

God Bless

Marni

Go on to: James 4:10 Humble Yourselves
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lamb-rightThe purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.