Come close — Scripture Reflection #053

James 4:8 (New Living Translation)

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Walking in obedience to God requires us to actively pursue Him in every area of our lives. A full transformation into who God wants us to be–like His son Jesus–means that we must know Him. To know God, we must come close to Him. Think about actors trying to get into character for a movie or play. They must study their character thoroughly, they must know who it is they are emulating, they must be so in tune with their character that when they go on stage, they present their character flawlessly. 

We are called by God to become just like Jesus (Romans 8:29), and in order to do this, we must first know Jesus like that actor knows the part they are going to play. Thankfully, God, in His kindness, has given us the Holy Spirit to help us become like His Son. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and our active participation, we can become like Jesus and give God our undivided loyalty.

The Prayer: God, I thank You for creating me with a purpose. I pray that as I work to become like Your Son, Jesus, that I will come close to You and work hard to do Your will. Thank You for the assistance You give me in this process by the Holy Spirit. Please get glory through me as I seek to magnify Your name through this transformation. I love You and thank You. Amen.