“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (James 4:8a, NASB95). What a magnificent promise of God! That the Creator of all things, our all-powerful God, would even notice us—much less that He would graciously come close to us—is astounding. Do you want the Lord to move toward you? If so, we must understand this principle: the Lord moves toward those who first choose to move toward Him.
This is a principle that we see throughout the scriptures. For example, in Old Testament times, Azariah the prophet brought this message from God to Asa, king of Judah: “The Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (1 Chronicles 15:2b). If we want the Lord to be with us, we must first choose to seek Him. Only then will He let us find Him.
We see the principle again when God brings a message of hope to the nation of Judah who were exiled in Babylon. The Lord says, “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13) The Lord will listen to those who call upon Him. He will allow Himself to be found, but only when we seek Him with all our heart.
But how do we go about seeking Him? How do we draw near to Him so that He will draw near to us? James shows us the way as he continues, “… Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8b). To draw near to God, we must pursue holiness of life. We need to turn from sin, both in deed and in heart, and pursue the things of God. When we seek purity of life in this way, God will move toward us. That is His promise.
Do you feel far away from the Lord today? Have you drifted away from Him because of sin in your life, or because of spiritual complacency? He is waiting for you. He is willing to forgive. He wants you near to Himself, but He is waiting for you to make the first moves toward Him. He will let you find Him.
And finding God is the greatest treasure that could ever be.
—Scott Colvin
