Daily Devotional

This is the final of a four part devotion from James 4:1-10.

We all have hearts to serve the Lord Jesus.  That’s why you are reading this devotion.  That‘s why your read your Bible, and pray.  That’s why you go to Sunday services.  And that’s why you give yourself to serving the saints, and to reaching the world.

In the last devotion I wrote, I noted how God expressed how He jealously desires those of us who have put our faith in Christ.  He’s pretty upset when we give our hearts more to the world than to Him.  He’s a jealous lover!

But when we struggle with this, and all of us will, there is good news!  “He gives a greater grace.”

It is God’s favor to help us do the very thing he wants us to do, and which we as believers really want to do, also – to love Him first and highest.

To whom is this grace imparted?  There is one requirement – humility.  Humility before Him.  James quotes David’s words captured in Psalm 138:6. The haughty are left far away.  The lowly and the humble He gives regard to.

Then James goes on to give us even more encouragement – Submit to God, as I have described.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you!  Here are then a couple of happy steps we are to take – submit to God.  Flee from the devil, and he will be gone from us!  He goes even further saying, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!  This is the picture of the day to day Christian life.

Then he seems to answer an unasked question:  Are you having any difficulty with this?  Well, here is how you do it:

• Cleanse your sinful hands before Christ.
• Purify your divided hearts before Christ.

You might have to be miserable and mourn for a time.  Your regular laughter and joy may need to be turned into mourning and gloom, until you get there!  You might even have to weep some!

The entire scene is a humbling of ourselves before God, which is a kind of standing order for Christians.  This is our everyday posture before Christ.  He will bring back your laughter and joy, on much better terms!  It will be a kind of heavenly gladness and rejoicing.

The posture and process is laid out for us by James, and also the promise – humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you!  He will lift you up, and make you honored and joyful and fruitful.

Remember this key phrase, “In His presence!”  He jealously desires our love.  It is not a religious exercise we are after, but rather an approaching God’s very presence with a right heart and a right attitude.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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