"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore 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, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched 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."»James 4:3-10
Imagine. Being an enemy of God. A place, I assume, we would never want to be if we desire to follow our Father. Yet do we have anything of the world in us, do we have desires which we wish to spend on our passions? I find this is something that continually needs to be rooted out of my life. Wrong passions which are not from the Father but are in my flesh. I see something, I want it. I enjoy what makes me feel good, it might not be wrong yet I begin to put it above my love and devotion to the Father. In pride I can find myself trying to make things work my own way rather than humbling myself, becoming little in my own eyes and seeking His approval and will instead.
He gives more grace. What an encouragement. What a refreshment! Oh to never forget! He gives us more grace. Not only so, He also jealously yearns to dwell in us. He wants every single part of us! If we are proud, He cannot put up with us. Nevertheless, if we humble ourselves and see our need of Him, He will come to us.
At times He will test us to see where our hearts are at. I believe this is more of a revealing of our own hearts so we can see what we truly are longing after. Will we desire to draw near to Him through this test or will our own passions seem more enticing? Sometimes He will wait until the last moment, and show Himself real to us. Are we willing to wait for Him?
If we have fallen, should we feel discouraged? No, rather we ought to draw near to God by cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts. When we go before Him in humility and sincerity, hearts grieved for our failure but also longing to draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Cry out to Him in faith, believing He is there, you will find His nearness and His love. You will find He does draw near to us IF we will draw near to Him if we truly know without a doubt He will answer. Will we believe? Will we cry out to Him in faith? Do we have this desire?
Do we find ourselves more grieved about our cares and worries than for our Saviour, who is interceding for us? Who is calling us higher? Are we concerned about the things we are striving to do, to have, our passions, forgetting He is there jealously longing for every part of us? Will we let Him have every part?
What are the things holding you back today from letting Him fill every corner? We must be empty before He can fill. Before we can grow, we must let go. Then the seed can fall into the ground and grow into something beautiful - in His time.
Let's ask Him for His grace to enable us to let go. In faith, let us approach His thrown of grace finding mercy and grace in our time of need. He will see us through, He will help us through and through in our weakest areas. It is in our weakness that His strength is manifest. What a wonderful Father we have!
