He Is There: Come Close
Today's Scripture
"Come close to God, and God will come close to you." - James 4:8 NLT
Thoughts for Today
When we experience a loss or any other kind of pain, too often we close ourselves off from God—our only source of true comfort. Instead we withdraw within ourselves . . . or we look for other people to "fix" things . . . or we seek escape through excessive work, or play, or even by turning to alcohol or drugs. We refuse to face the pain.
When we have fallen into sin, we often feel too ashamed to talk to God about it, to confess. And so we neglect our time with him . . . we fall away and sink deeper into sin and rebellion.
Instead of running to God, we run away.
Consider this . . .
Running from God won't fix the problem. Our only answer is to come close to him. He can meet every need—and he wants to. But we must turn to him. Today's scripture promises that if we move toward him, he will move toward us. He will never turn his back on us.
Come close to God by spending time in his Word. "You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope (Psalm 119:114).
Come close to God by talking to him. And listening to him. Spend time in prayer. Praying on your knees. Praying as you go about the day. Remember, He Is There! Jehovah Shammah.
Prayer
Father, what a comfort to know you want me to come to you with everything. And that as I move close to you, you will come close to me. Forgive me for the times I've been distracted. For the times I've looked elsewhere for my needs to be met. Thank you for always being there. In Jesus' name . . .
These thoughts were drawn from …
Knowing God My Father: Applying the Names of God to My Personal Life by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. This curriculum is designed to help people strengthen their relationship with their heavenly Father by applying His names to their personal life. Along with helping Christians know God better, it can serve as an evangelistic tool by giving a true picture of God to people who may have a distorted view of Him because of an absent or abusive earthly father who did not or does not provide for them. This group can also help men who want to be better fathers. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.
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