Are you drawing near to God? Are you resisting the devil? Do you humble yourself before the Lord? These are all practical commands found in Scripture and each comes with a promise. If you are struggling to understand God’s will for your life then you must ask yourself these questions. Scripture tells us, The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Psalm 145:18).
Two weeks ago, I began working on my next Bible study. I shared my last lesson of Anchored to Truth last month, so I decided to take some time off from weekly writing to focus on writing the next one. I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to share it with you this fall. For that reason I will only be posting new articles on my blog once a month until the end of August.
So why am I writing another Bible study? For years I have been writing Bible studies for a group of women that meet in my home once a month for fellowship around God’s Word. From the time I became a believer, God has used His Word to truly transform my life. Because of that, I have a great desire to encourage other women to read their Bibles. Not once, but over and over again and to apply His Word to their lives. Through the study of God’s Word and prayer we get to experience life-transforming fellowship with our Lord and Savior. I write Bible studies because if it encourages one woman to draw near to God then it’s worth it.
He Will Draw Near To You
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
I also write because for me it is a great way to draw near to God. As you can see from the picture above, my writing doesn’t just come from what’s in this big brain of mine. Half the time I can’t remember why I walked into a room. It comes from prayer and the study of God’s Word. When I write, I explore God’s Word with a great desire to know Him more. When God reveals something new to me through His Word, I get just as excited as I did when I first started reading it.
The times when I feel near to God are when I’m studying His Word and when I’m going through a struggle. Right now I am experiencing both. It amazes me how what I read is so practical to what I’m dealing with. I’ve had many moments recently crying out to God, and asking for direction for things that are happening in my life right now. In those moments, God brings to mind the things that I am learning in His Word and gives me peace and clear direction. I know it is no coincidence that I am facing this trial as I am writing this Bible study.
Submit Yourself To God
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
When we submit ourselves to God then we are not submitting ourselves to the devil or to the flesh. The devil, the unbelieving world, and our flesh are enemies of God because they want us to sin against God. I was recently reading through Genesis, and God’s warning to Cain really stood out to me. Before Cain killed his brother, God warned him that he needed to rule over his sin or his sin would rule over him.
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7
Many of us need to heed this warning because we don’t take our sin seriously. We allow a little sin into our lives or refuse to submit to something God has clearly called us to do. Then things begin to escalate. Before we know it we are doing things we never thought we would do, saying things we never thought we would say, and everything around us begins to unravel. The moment we see sin in our lives, we must immediately ask for forgiveness from God and turn away from it. We must rule over it so it doesn’t rule over us.
Humble Yourself Before The Lord
Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:9-10
It’s pride month, a month dedicated to being proud of sexual perversion. Perversion is the alteration of something from its original, intended, or normal course. Pride is defined as deep satisfaction with one’s own achievements or worth. LGBTQ pride is defined by self-affirmation. Affirmation is a declaration that something is true or exists. Can you tell I like definitions? Therefore, LGBTQ pride is celebrating and affirming the alteration or rejection of God’s design. If you don’t see it this way then be honest with yourself. You are not following Christ, you are following the world.
Scripture tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Jesus Himself said, Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). God’s desire is not that we would find deep satisfaction in ourselves, but that we would find it in Him. He does not want us to celebrate our sin and affirm lies. He wants us to flee from sin and proclaim truth. Following Christ should humble us because the closer we come to God the more we feel the weight of our sin and realize our complete and total need for a Savior.
He Will Exalt You
Writing might not be your thing, and you don’t have to deeply study God’s Word to draw near to Him. However, it’s important to invest in things that equip you to draw near to God. It might be starting a new Bible study or reading plan and carving out time each day to pray and be in God’s Word. Maybe there are opportunities to plug into discipleship in your local church. It could be as simple as meeting a friend for coffee once a week and reading through God’s Word together. Whatever it is, every minute spent drawing near to God draws Him near to you.
If you will submit to Him, He will purify your heart, make the devil flee, and exalt you to the person He desires you to be. If you ignore Him, resist Him, and elevate yourself, you will have a hard time finding Him and His will. This was me for the first thirty years of my life.
I would love to hear how you draw near to God. Send me an email through my Contact Page. Be sure to check out my Resource Page for Bible Studies, Bible Reading, and Prayer Resources.