James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
In our little two-room country school house (Orchard Prairie School, Spokane, WA), we had a science fair. My project was on magnetism. I had a simple little writing along with a display of a magnet.The magnet was mounted about 8 inches above a baseboard, with a string attached to the base and a nail tied to the base—the right length to almost reach up to the magnet. The force of the magnet held the nail suspended in air.
God created us to draw nigh to Him. After creating Adam from the dust of the ground, God “…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;…” (Genesis 2:7). He didn’t just breath over him, He breathed into his nostrils, like mouth-to-mouth recitation. Immediately, God was not just close to him, but His breath was in him—the breath of life. God wanted His life in Adam.
God wants His life in you today. In our text James is stating a true fact; “Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.” Let’s take a few moments to see how this works. First, James says to submit yourselves to God (V.7). Even though we belong to God, He does not have us on a leash. Like a disobedient dog running all over the place not submitting to his master’s call, we can choose to not draw nigh. That is foolish, for one day we will stand before Him face to face (II Corinthians 5:10).
The call to draw nigh to God is a love call. Satan will always try to keep us from drawing nigh. You may have noticed when you decide to take time to pray, that other “important” things immediately come to your mind that you must do first. That is why James says right along with submitting, to “…Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James also says, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” The nail on the string has no power until someone holds it near the magnet, then it miraculously is suspended in air. This humbling comes when we realize that we are dirty-handed sinners with an impure heart and double mind (James 4:8). The rule still holds, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” You will find a wonderful blessing when you draw nigh.
The beautiful hymn, “Near to the Heart of God,” by Cleland B. McAfee, is a call to meet with God heart to heart: “There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God; A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God. There is a place of comfort sweet, Near to the heart of God; A place where we are Savior meet, Near to the heart of God. There is a place of full release, Near to the heart of God; A place where all is joy and peace, Near to the heart of God. O Jesus blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God.” Take advantage of this truth, even right now. DRAW NIGH!
