Page 9 - Grace Connections Feb 2022

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and
He will draw near to you”
James is telling Christians to
purposefully move into greater
intimacy with God. Let’s take a
look at a married couple living in
the same house. However, the
husband spends all his waking
time in the garage working on an
antique automobile he is
restoring. The wife, on the other
hand, spends all of her waking
moments on social media or
watching television. How much
intimacy do you think is going on
between them? They are both
dwelling close to one another,
sharing the same house, but there
is no close interaction between
them. Each one is functioning
independent of the other.
James is trying to tell us;
Hey! You need to get into the
same room with God. Get into a
conversation with God and hear
what He has to say to you. Get to
know God as a person much more
deeply.
We want a closer walk with
the Lord; we want to feel His
presence-not only during church
but throughout the week. OK-
then draw near to God.
I want to do that, but where
do I start and how do I proceed?
Do not be afraid to Reach Out
Life can be overwhelming at
times, but instead of holding
everything in, reach out to Him
for help. God already knows our
deepest thoughts and the desires
of our heart. We can be certain
that He will never push us away,
because He loves us. He pursues
us, longing for that relationship
with Him.
If you are feeling like you
stuck in the wilderness, calling
out to Him is the solution.
Admitting that we need God’s
help is not a sign of weakness, but
an expression of a desire to know
God better. It is preparing your
heart to seek the Lord.
Make a firm decision to seek
the Lord. David said in PS 57:7,
“My heart is steadfast, (fixed), O
God my heart is steadfast; I will
sing of give praise.”
The Message translation
puts it like this; “I’m ready, God,
so read, ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a
tune: Wake up, soul! Wake up,
lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead
sun!” Reach out with a firm