God Promises He Is Near

Lesson Four • Work to Rest
Devotion 2: God Promises He Is Near
Jasmyn Bicknell 

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8

When I think of drawing near to something or someone, I think of comfort. That leads me to find rest in that person or thing. We should be finding our rest in the Lord, as we are told in Matthew chapter 11. When we draw near to Him, we find our comfort and rest. We can leave our anxieties and worries at the feet of Jesus. He cares for us by taking those burdens onto His own shoulders so that we do not have to carry them. 

How is it possible to draw near to Him? Do you remember in the Old Testament when only the priests were allowed to communicate with the Lord on special days and only after they went through an entire ritual of cleansing themselves? Thankfully, we no longer have to do that because we have freedom in Christ to speak to Him whenever we want. Because of the great sacrifice of Jesus’ life, coming to the world as human to bridge the gap between Heaven and earth, we can have a personal relationship with Him without needing to go through someone else. 

That is wonderful! We have a loving Father who wants, no, yearns for our relationship! This is the promise of His great love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son.” Can you imagine sacrificing your only child for a world full of people who could not care less about you or him? It is for the people that you created, who you long to have a close relationship with, and who you have offered unending grace, love, and mercy. Yet, they cast you aside for worldly things. God loves you; all He wants is to spend an eternity with you, admiring His beloved creation. However, in order to do so, we must answer the call of Christ to draw near to Him and to share His love.

How do we do that? Dive into His Word, worship with songs of praise, and pray to Him constantly. He is always there while you are driving to work, in the middle of the night when you are unable to sleep, when you are so overwhelmed with life, and when everything feels like utter chaos. The Lord is there waiting for you to respond to Him and lean on His hand that is outstretched to you. Embrace the comfort and love that He has for you. He wants His children to be close to Him, but as with any relationship, it is a two-way street. You must do your part to keep the bond strong.

With all this being said, we must remember that the Lord never leaves us. If we feel distant from Him, guess who moved? “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”