Day 15 – Daily Devotional – January 19, 2025 – Greater Grace

READ

James 4:1-10  What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.  You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit He made to dwell in us envies intensely? But He gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

EXAMINE

Hello, Bethel   You probably didn’t notice, but 24 times the words “you, your, and yourself” were used.  24 times!  WOW…we have some serious problems.  James gives three negative influences that entice and cause separation from God: our own passions, friendship with the world, and the devil. These hindrances to a holy life cause sin, conflict, pride, and hostility toward God. Thankfully, His “greater grace” is more powerful than any of these competitors for our affection, and we really need to believe God for a release of that in our lives, lest we despair that we’ll never change. James promises that submission to God causes the devil to flee from us. Thankfully, if we draw near in humility, God meets us where we are and gives His pure and holy presence.

APPLY

In this passage, we’re called to approach God with clean hands and pure hearts. This cleansing can only be found through forgiveness in Jesus. So we have to “do business” with God; honest business. Each of us must search our hearts, repent of our sins, and humble ourselves before the Lord. Only in this submissive posture, washed clean by the blood of Jesus, are we able to boldly approach the throne of God. And what a beautiful invitation that is! In His presence we’re free from the evil and chaos in the world. If we truly understood the joy found with God, drawing near would be the deepest desire of our hearts.

PRAY

Have you spent any time recently asking for the Holy Spirit to purify and cleanse your heart? Have you confessed any areas of reluctance or resistance?  Have you asked the Lord if any of your relationships are a deterrence to greater closeness with Him? We’re called to  “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Pray to be single-minded in your pursuit of the presence of God in your life.  Ask the Lord to help you be pure in your motives.