Hey Church Family,

My Bible reading this morning was James 4. As I walked through each challenging phrase about repentance, prayer and submitting myself fully to God, I came to the first part of verse 8 which simply states, "Come near to God and He will come near to you.” That is a powerful, life-transforming invitation to us.

The passion of God's heart is to be close to us. He is steadfast and unrelenting in His pursuit of us. However, what is true about God is often not true about us. We easily fall into patterns of pursuing God half-heartedly. We tend to seek God when it is convenient or as a last resort in times of crisis. The invitation in James challenges us to do life differently.

The language of the text speaks of coming to God not as an appointment to be kept but as a continual, moment-by-moment acknowledgment of God's nearness. When we accept the invitation to come near, it is then that we experience just how close God is to us.

As we approach Solemn Assembly next week, I hope that you see it as one more way to live out the command of James to come near to God. Let’s respond to the invitation together and see what happens when God keeps His promise to draw near to us.

Peace,
Wade