Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Have You Ever Forgotten God? (Part 7)


Jesus says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4.8).

What a statement! What a promise from God to us!

What a blessing! Consider the awesomeness of Almighty God desiring to draw close to you . . . to me. But such an intimate relationship is predicated on our active involvement. God takes the first step . . . the first 100 steps! . . . but we must make a commitment to him, as well. A relationship with God does not happen passively, it is not built by him alone.

James sayd, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

How does one draw near to God?

There are a number of ways to draw near to God . . . each is essential.

Bible study is so important. How can we know God without listening to him and considering the words he has given to us?

The relationships we have with men and women of faith . . . God's people . . . his church . . . help us to draw near to God. Our relationship with God is not cultured in a vacuum, our relationship with God is not isolated . . . it is built within a framework of relationships. God has placed us in a community of believers. I love a verse in the song, Have You Seen Jesus, My Lord?. The lyrics say, "Have you ever stood in the family with the Lord there in your midst seen the face fo Christ on your brother then I say you've seen Jesus, my Lord."

Observation of nature and appreciation of God's creation can draw us closer to God. Looking at a snow-capped Hesperus Peak will certainly put life into perspective . . . how awesome is the God that built that mountain!

Acts of snow and service rendered to others can certain bring us close to God. As we love others we are expressing God's love.


Through an active and vibrant prayer life, we draw near to God.

Perhaps prayer is the single most important way in which we draw near to God. Bible study works to inform us of God's character and will . . . prayer represents, in part, our response to God . . . our affirmation of who he is . . . our willingness to come close . . . an indication that we want to be in relationship with him.


Communication is vital to any relationship. Indeed without healthy communication a meaningful relationship is not possible.


Consider the closest relationships you enjoy . . . with your spouse . . . with your parents . . . with a brother or sister . . . with a friend . . . with your kids. Can you imagine going a day . . . a week . . . a year! . . . without communication . . . without a meaningful discussion?


I have a friend . . . he and I were so close for much of our lives. best friends . . . inseparable . . . but I haven't physically spoken to him in over two years! Since our college days were over, we have drifted apart . . . different careers . . . different states . . . lives that do not come into contact much. A lack of communication has kept us apart.


The Jewish leaders failed to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Why? What was the result of their forgetfulness?


The story of Israel is a sad story, especially that of its religious leaders. How unimaginable it is that they failed to recognize Jesus, the Son of God, as he lived in their midst. Why the blindness?


These men, the Pharisees and scribes of the law, were religious zealots, but they wore their faith on their sleeves. They read aloud God's Word, but the words fell of deaf ears. They spoke at God, but not to him. They were men of God in name only. They did not know God, and they failed to see him.


James says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."


What a statement! What a promise from God to us!


What a blessing! Consider the awesomeness of Almighty God desiring to draw close to you . . . to me. But such an intimate relationship is predicated on our active involvement. God takes the first step . . . the first 100 steps! . . . but we must make a commitment to him, as well. A relationship with God does not happen passively, it is not built by God alone.

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