SCRIPTURE: Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:7-8 NLT
THOUGHT: I like simple steps even though I am famous for overcomplexifying things. I don’t exactly understand how those two coexist in me, but they do. Christian songwriter Nicole Nordeman penned these words in her 2005 song Be Real to Me Now, words that went straight to my longing for simplicity:
I am weary of the answers
More theory and cliché
They raise the letter of the law like a banner
‘Til you’re small and far away
James’ simple steps to being closer to God are easy to remember. They don’t make God seem small and far away and impossible to approach; they aren’t based on theory or cliché or secrets or complicated laws:
- Be humble before God – consider who you’re speaking with and the privilege you’ve been given.
- Resist evil – we’ve been given more power to live a righteous life than we realize. The forces of evil will flee, not might flee. If you’re like me, you may need to practice some spiritual resistance training.
- Come close – James doesn’t make it complicated at all, just come close to the powerful maker of the universe. You only know so much about how to do that, but James promises that when you do, God will move toward you, covering the gap that exists between heaven and earth, holy and imperfect.
SONG: Be Real to Me Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLhsfX7SLwk
PRAYER: Oh God, thank you for these promises from one who knew you well, that you would cover the gap to get to the humble heart who resists evil and draws near.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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