Drawing Near to God

“‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’  Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” –James 4:6-8, 10 (ESV.  Read James 4:1-12).

James gives much practical advice for the Christian in how to conduct a godly life.  How to draw near to God is a theme throughout his epistle.  He spares no words in instructing his readers about living a life of faith and dedication to God.  His advice is that we are to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only” (1:22-25). He warns us against the sin of gossip, reminding us that the tongue is a little member of our physical makeup but can wreak havoc in stirring up trouble (3:1-12).  At the outset of his epistle, he reminds us that trials of various kinds can be expected in the Christian life.  Just because we are followers of God in no way insures that the road will be easy or the burden light.  But permeating the teaching of James is the assurance that God is near and ready to answer, to give strength in weakness and to walk with us through all trials of life.

Today’s focal passage begins with James quoting from Proverbs 3:34: “Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor.”  From the Septuagint, this would have been a familiar teaching for Jewish Christians.  And from a practical nature, as well as the admonition from another familiar proverb, Christians should know that “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Drawing near to God involves a definite abeyance of an individual’s haughtiness and sense of self-sufficiency.  Humility is at the heart of drawing near to God.  It is recognition that we need a higher Power to guide and direct us, to be submissive to and to trust.  And just when we are ready to rely on God, the devil, that deceiver and tempter, will be present to tell us we do not have to rely on God, that we can, indeed, succeed on our own as we follow paths of least resistance.  Yet God is persistent and keeps urging us to ‘draw near’ to Him.  As James stated in 4:6, it is God who ‘gives more grace.’  And it is this gift of unmerited favor as we deliberately draw near to Him that strengthens us and gives us renewed determination to follow God.

Drawing near to God involves first, submitting to God.  This is a term with military connotation and means to get into one’s proper rank and position and follow the chain of command.  And then drawing near to God involves the worshiper’s humility before God.  Sometimes you may have heard someone voice a prayer such as this:  “Make me (us) humble, God.”  Humility must begin in the heart of the worshiper by confession of sins and turning from them—and certainly the sin of pride.  The worshiper must become humble of his/her own volition, an action of stripping self away and seeking cleansing and restoration.  “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18, ESV).  The end results of drawing near to God are that our search for holiness and peace will be rewarded as He promises, “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever” (Isaiah 32:17, ESV).

Prayer:  Thank You, Lord, that the spiritual exercise of drawing near to You cleanses, refreshes and strengthens us, for now and for all eternity.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen