Posted on 03/05/2024 4:12:36 AM PST by metmom
“He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
God will come near to the truly humble, who have by faith sought to be close to Him.
One of the greatest promises in the Bible is that God responds to the humble and draws near to them. Such people will yearn for a closeness to God by which they can know Him, love Him, learn His Word, praise Him, pray to Him, and fellowship with Him. In summary, the humble will be true worshipers, those who “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
John 4:23 concludes with the statement, “for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” This strongly implies that God wants to have a relationship with the humble, which means He will respond to us. This idea of the Lord reaching out to us and responding to our humble obedience is also found in the Old Testament, when David instructed Solomon: “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever” (1 Chron. 28:9).
The principle of God’s drawing near to the humble is illustrated by Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). First, the prodigal son manifests humility and repentance: “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (vv. 18-19). Next, his behavior pictures a longing to draw near to God: “he got up and came to his father” (v. 20). Finally, there is the picture of God drawing near to us: “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him” (v. 20).
You might not find yourself in the same predicament as the prodigal son did, but you will experience the same response from God if you have humbly drawn near to Him in faith and worshiped Him in spirit and in truth.
Suggestions for Prayer
Pray that God would help you be a true worshiper of Him.
For Further Study
Read and meditate on Psalm 40. What things did David find true about God’s nearness?
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Hebrews 11:6
He wants to be found....
It was quite the revelation to me as a new Christian who was brought up in a religious system where God was just waiting for you to make a mistake so He could send you to hell (Too bad for you) to realize that God really, really WANTS to save us.
YIKES!
Well said. I had somewhat the same experience.
Similarly, I will never forget the first time I was in a group and they began to pray conversationally, just talking to God as though He were an actual person, rather than repeatedly reciting formulaic “prayers”.
Having just begun another fun-filled journey through the Bible, I will be on the lookout for verses and passages dealing with the dynamic of God’s approachability, including the several verses we’ve mentioned here. I will compile a list and report back in a year or so, God willing.
OK. Sounds good. It’s not a topic I’ve ever heard much preached on.
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