DRAW NEAR TO GOD
Tuesday – March 10, 2026
Video link: https://youtu.be/m_-XjPmeybw
Greetings dear saints of God and welcome to our Study of the Bible Book of James. As I have mentioned many times, I see this as a straightforward (for the most part) Bible Book with Wisdom for today. Much of the Book as to do with the Words of our mouth which springs from the thoughts of our minds as does everything else in our lives, in this creation. There is no way to exaggerate the importance of our thoughts and the words that spring from those thoughts, those beliefs. Now let’s go ahead and jump into our Bible text for today. Remember, I teach the Bible from the Bible.
James 4:8-10 (KJV)
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Since God the Holy Spirit lives within and we are one spirit with God at salvation what does it mean to draw near to God and He will draw near to us? How in the world can you get closer to One who lives within and outside of us is everywhere present? Well, it is the same as two people in a home, sitting next to one another, or laying in the same bed. You become more alike in thought, words, expressions and actions. We must truly transform our thought life to be like His progressively displacing all that is contrary to Him. He knows our hearts, let’s not be hypocrites. When our beliefs genuinely become His, they influence both our speech and behavior, leading to consistently positive outcomes and authentic personal transformation.
As we go forward in this eighth verse, we are told to cleanse our hands, we are called sinners, told to purify our hearts, and are declared to be double minded. Well, like it or not this is true for many of us. How do we cleanse our hands. Our hands is what we do and what we do with what we have like money and other material things. We cleanse our hands with the Word of God, with the Blood of Jesus in repentance and use our hands, the material things in our control in a Godly way. Sin of any kind is dealt with the same way as soon as we are aware of the sin.
1 John 1:9 (KJV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Oh, the Blood, oh what a Savior! We are to purify our hearts which is our thought life.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And we are not to be double minded. Remember in this very Book, James 1:8 we are told that a double minded person is unstable in all their ways. How many ways? All! Eliminating double mindedness has to do with the renewing of the mind. One cannot over emphasize the renewing of our minds to the thoughts of God. Unlike natural medicine you cannot overdose or have negative side effects from the Word of God. Listen to what the Lord told Joshua.
Joshua 1:7-9 (KJV)
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Meditate this passage, looking at the qualifiers and looking at the fruit of obedience of righteousness. This whole passage is a series of commands with a guaranteed defined outcome. We will resume here tomorrow. Do you want to see the acts of God from a distance or know the ways of God and have the acts from your mouth and hands?
Psalm 103:7 (KJV)
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Put your name in place of Moses and my sphere of influence in place of the children of Israel.
TAKE HOME:
- Our thoughts, what we truly believe, our words, and actions must be just like His.
- We must continually cleanse ourselves with the Word of God, not just reading, but studying, changing our thoughts displacing devilish ways.
- We must not be double minded vacillating between the Word and circumstances, established in the Word in spite of circumstances.
Lord willing, I will resume right here tomorrow. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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