Draw Near, or Get Close

In James, we see the words "draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. When we were born again, we cannot get any closer to God than receiving the Holy Spirit, who is also God, and receiving our undeserved grace. The words in James 4 begin by telling us what things we need to avoid, and then he challenges us to turn toward God for many things. In times of trouble, God is our peace. In times of fear, God is our strength. In times of sickness, God is our healer. In times of indecision, God shows the way. I must seek out His ways and follow His path in this life of faith.

I pray the following scripture every day and throughout the day as I walk this faith walk, and it is Psalm 25:⁴ Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. ⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Truth alert! I don't know what to do on every issue that comes my way, but I am learning to rely on the truth of God and follow His ways. They may not be what I want, but that is the point of drawing near to God. I ask, seek, and knock, and I hope for a bit of clarity from God, and He gives an overabundance of truth and wisdom that I must respond to with an open heart. When treated unfairly, I must keep my eyes on Him. When I sin, I must let His conviction draw me closer to Him to realize my sin, and then rely on His grace, because that grace is always here, no matter what. When there is a wall in my path, I must navigate a better way around that wall with His guidance.

A breakthrough many times is what God wants, and in that breakthrough, He will give a way to bust the obstacles with His strength. I am weak at best in my wisdom, but God's wisdom is endless and perfect. I must trust His wisdom, thus the praying of Psalm 25:4-5 and "meaning" it. My impressions about life and how it works seem to be so limited, and the Word of God is like opening up a flood of wisdom that not only works but heals, and my prayer is to trust His Word, and that will help me trust more in the circumstances of life. Believing He truly does have everything under control. Praise the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 is really true and also is a help to me when trying to trust the Lord more. Proverbs 3: ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. This truth gives me hope and strength, and in the midst of life, He has my heart, and He has my back also. Thank you, Jesus.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren