Draw Near to God James 4:8

As James continued to share with his readers within the “twelve tribes scattered abroad”, he instructed them to “submit” themselves “to God” and “resist the devil” and the result would be, “he will flee from” them. In chapter four and verse eight of his letter, James continued his directive as he wrote, “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” where we read:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands,

you sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The verse begins, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James began with the words, “Draw nigh” which means “bring or join one thing near or to another and approach” “to God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “and he will draw nigh” which means “God the Heavenly Father will bring or join one thing near or to another and approach” “to you” which refers to the people within “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. James concluded that if his readers would “draw near or close to God”, God would “draw near or close to” them.

The verse goes on to say, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.” James continued, “cleanse” or “make clean from physical stains and dirt, make free from defilement, wickedness and guilt of sin, and to purify and consecrate by cleansing or purifying” “your hands” which refers to “the idea of hollowness for grasping and use of as an instrument”, “you sinners” or “ones who are devoted to sin, not free from sin, pre-eminently sinful and especially wicked”; “and purify” which means “cleanse ceremonially or morally” “your hearts” or “the center and seat of all physical and spiritual life”, “you double minded” which means “wavering, uncertain, doubting and divided in interest”. James charged those who were among his readers to “clean up” their lives as he labeled them “sinners”, and “purify” their “hearts” as he called them “wavering and uncertain” folks.

When we think through these words of James, we should take heed to his commands and not simply admire them. We must “draw near to God” if we desire Him to “draw near” to us, and as we understand we are “sinners” with “wavering minds” who not only need “cleansing” within but also “hearts” purified, we shall align ourselves with the Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to “cleanse us from our sins”, and as we desire to be purified and close to Him, we will find God very close to us.

Next time James tells his readers to “be afflicted, and mourn, and weep”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.