In James 4:8, we given a command and a promise:
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
We love the thought of God being close. It’s a cornerstone of our faith that we can have an intimate relationship with our God. We desire His closeness because of His care and provision for us. We want to be in God’s presence.
However, the promise (He will draw near to you) is stipulated by a command (Draw near to God).
Often we have the attitude that we are waiting for God to make the first move. “I’ll get close to Him once He comes close to me.” Or, “I’ll get close to Him when I feel like it. And I’ll feel like it once He has come to me.” But here is the thing, He has already made the first move. “…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). God has already moved near to you by offering His Son as a sacrifice for your sins and is now watching intently to see if you respond to His love by drawing near to Him.
In the story of the prodigal son, the father waited and watched as his son squandered his life. But once the son came to his senses and drew near to his father, the father ran toward him and embraced him (Luke 15).
The promise is linked to the command. You can be absolutely certain that God will uphold his promise. He is watching intently to take off running toward you to pull you into His strong embrace. But we must first be obedient to His command.
Today, may you draw close to God.