"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
James 4:8
The family had attended church on that Sunday morning. The pastor spoke on the subject of a closer walk with God. At lunch that day a son asked his mother, "What does it mean to have a closer walk with God?" The mother said, "Son, walking closer to God means that we don't let anything come between God and us. When we do or say things that we should not, it means that we are not as close to God as we should be." The mother went on to explain how God loves us and wants us close to him. She reminded him of a night when a storm caused the lights to go out in their house. Her son wanted to sit as close to her as he could. He felt safe and secure close to his mother. She said, "God loves us and wants us to feel safe and close to Him."
The Bible teaches that God is everywhere. He is always present. Yet, our sins separate us from experiencing Him as near. God always wants us to experience His nearness. If we don't, the problem is with us and never with Him. The solution is for us to confess our sins and cleanse our hearts to draw near to Him. To draw near to God is to experience love, joy and peace.
Are you living near to God? You can. He is available to all who seek Him. By faith we pray, confessing our sins, receiving His forgiveness and cleansing according to the promise of His word (1 John 1:9). Unbelief says, "I can't live near to God. I could never be good enough." Faith says, "I'm not good enough to live near to God, but He will forgive my sins, so that I can draw near." Living near to God is our choice.
Father, make us aware that You are near
