Bible Text: “Draw near unto God and He will draw near to you…” James 4: 8
The more we draw closer to the Lord, the more we will know Him, the more we will know His plans and purpose, the secret things.
Deuteronomy 29:29 – “The secret things belong to the Lord, our God…”
Psalm 42:1-7 – “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”
Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Vs. 8 – Draw near unto God and He will draw near to you…
We must take a step of faith in drawing near to God
Vs. 10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Jeremiah 29:11-14 – “For I know the thoughts I have towards you… And you will seek Me and find Me”
God wants us to know that if we search Him out, He will make himself findable. We have to take the first step.
Psalm 17:15 – “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
Case Study: Enoch walked with God
Genesis 5:22 – “Enoch walked with God…”
Genesis 6:3 – “My spirit shall not strive with man forever…” God put a limitation on the lives of men. Vs. 8– “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord…”
As believers, we must always find ways to get closer to our heavenly Father.
Philippians 3:7-10 – “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection”
This should be our heart’s cry daily, to know Christ more than we previously did.
How Can You Know the Lord?
You must be born-again, have a relationship with the Lord
Love the Word of God and keep it in our hearts. READ. STUDY. MEMORIZE. OBEY
Act on the Word of God – James 1:22 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Yield and be led, guided, directed, and controlled by the Spirit
Job 32:8 – “But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.”
Proverbs 20:27 – “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner parts…”
Galatians 5:16-18 – “Walk in the Spirit… But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Romans 8:14 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
Commune with God in prayer – This doesn’t have to be formal and ceremonious, we just talk to Him throughout our day.
Ephesians 1:19-22
We need to establish a benchmark for every day.