When I Draw Close to God, He Draws Close to Me

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.

Draw Close to Him

What a precious promise. We have the confidence that when we draw close to God, He draws close to us.

We all have times when we move away from the Lord. It may have been out of defiance, where we chose our desires or a sin over obedience to Christ. We heard the Holy Spirit speaking in our ear, but we ignored Him and continued in our sin.

It may have been that we simply allowed the cares of life to move Jesus into second place. Like a boat slowly drifting in the water’s current, we didn’t intend to get away from God. We just slowly drifted away from Him.

In either case, we have the promise of a welcomed return.

Like the prodigal son, who found his father waiting on him. When you realize your situation and come running home to God, you see Him running toward you; arms open, welcoming you home.

Two requirements

There are two requirements for you to draw near to God.

First, you must cleanse your hands. Cleansing your hands means leaving behind the sin that moved you away from Him in the first place. It is aligning your actions with His lordship. You cleanse your hands by turning from your sin to Christ.

Second, you must purify your heart. The birthplace of our actions is our heart. Our heart must be completely His. A double-minded person is undecided between two ideas. Jesus wants all your heart. You must choose to follow Christ wholeheartedly. Jesus is either Lord or He is not.

When you change your heart and change your actions, you have the promise that as you return to Christ, He will welcome you into His presence. You never have to fear rejection from the Lord. Your father will draw near to you as you draw near to Him.

Let’s look at that promise again.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

Make these confessions.

God is always ready and waiting to welcome me back into His presence.
I can’t keep my sin and walk in His presence.
I cannot be double-minded and draw close to God.
When I draw close to God, He draws close to me.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

Have you drifted from the presence of God? Is there a need to come back to Him? Have you allowed your desires or a sin to keep you away from the Lord?

No matter how far away you are from God, when you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.

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