September 27, 2017: Day 38 – James 4

Let’s start at vs.4 where we hear that if we are too closely aligned with the world then we become an enemy of God.  There really is no middle ground here from James.  He sounds a lot like his big brother Jesus who tells us that unless we are willing to leave that which is most precious to us, but is of this earth, then we are not worthy of the kingdom of God.  Go ahead and look at Matthew 10:37 and cringe.  Does Jesus really mean we have to be willing to give up even our own families?  Both James and Jesus are identifying that our relationship to the almighty God has to be our primary focus and nothing, no not even our family, can get in the way of that.

The verse that sums this up most concisely is vs. 8 where we read that if we get near to God then God will get near to us.  I had forgotten about this verse.  This is so true.  When we draw near to God, God will draw near to us.  Now, it is not as if God draws away from us, but when we move away from God then he will always draw us back, but we will feel that God is further away from us than we want Him to be.  All of this is of our own doing.