JAMES 4:7-10

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2007

HE WILL LIFT YOU UP, THAT’S A PROMISE!

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:7-10 (NKJV)

A NOTE FROM RON - Most of the time I choose--at random--passages from Scripture without a particular reason. There are times when I feel that God has led me to choose a passage needed by someone who might use these devotions. Occasionally, I like to do a series that covers every verse of a Book of the Bible so that the devotions can also be used as an aid in Bible Study. Recently I did such a series on the First Epistle of John. These can be found in the ARCHIVES of Prayer and Devotions. I like to choose Books of the Bible that are less often read and/or studied. This is the tenth devotion of a series on the Book of James. It is my hope that these words may be an instrument of God in helping you to draw nearer to Him.

If you believe that you can do as you want and God won’t care, you need to read these verses.

If you believe that God is not a demanding God, you need to read these verses.

If you believe that following God is always a joyful journey, you need to read these verses.

If you believe that it is not worth giving up the joyful ways of the world to follow God’s ways, you need to read these verses, and read verse 10 over and over again.

As you read these verses you might want to review the previous devotions. At least remember that James has said it is a joy to face temptation and conquer it. He has said that it is a battle between the ways of God and the ways of the world, and he has talked about strife. Now he outlines what we must do:

Submit to God.

Resist the devil - if you do, the devil will flee from you as the devil hates all that is good.

Draw near to God - if you do, God will draw near to you as He pours His Love out on those who love Him.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. - A little boy thinks his hands are clean. His mother knows better. We think our lives are good, God knows better. We are double minded ,as Scripture says we can’t say we love God and hate our brother.

Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy be turned to gloom. - As we draw nearer and nearer to God, it can become very, very painful. The laughter and the joy that we have had following the ways of the world are so hard to give up. The mourning and gloom comes because we want to keep the worldly excitement as a part of our life, and there will be tears and despair as we struggle to let go, and Let God be our joy.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord - Give up, put your ego aside, fall on your knees before Him and pray, Lord, Show me your ways, Teach me your paths.

AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP - When you humble yourself and become obedient to Him, you will find joy, laughter, and peace in the midst of a still troubled world. That peace is only a glimpse of the peace, joy and laughter that is to come in the House of many mansions that Jesus has prepared for you and for me and for those who love Him.

Be not dismayed what ere betide, God will take care of you - HE WILL LIFT YOU UP! - THAT'S A PROMISE!

WE PRAY: HEAVENLY FATHER, it is so hard to even want to give up the ways of the world. Help me to understand that as a parent tells a child that this rule is for the child’s own good, so also are Your rules for us. Lead us through the agony of giving up the ways of the world to the joys, that are beyond our understanding, that will be ours when we live as You lead us. AMEN.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Each of us do many things in our daily life that we know are not pleasing to God. Select one of them and pray that the Holy Spirit will help you give it up and find the new joy as you draw closer to God. Repeat daily, and from time to time, add another sin from your life.