Come near to God and he will come near to
you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4.8
It is interesting that these two sentences
are brought together in one verse. I am exhorted to press in to God. As I do
so, He will make His presence felt. But immediately the warning is given for
the sinner to wash his hands and the double-minded to purify his heart.
Psalm 24 gives further connection between
these two sentences:
Who
may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who
may stand in his holy place?
He
who has clean hands and a pure heart (vv. 3,
4a)
The NIV Study Bible notes (p. 808) suggest
that ‘clean hands’ signify guiltless actions, whist a ‘pure heart’ illustrates
right attitudes and motives.
I need to wash my hands and purify my heart
if I am to come near to God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
will see God” (Matt. 5.8). But I am a sinner! I was born into a sinful
world and my humanity inherits sin from the fall of Adam. What chance do I have
for truly clean hands and a pure heart?
I believe part of the ‘chance’ I may have
lies in the choices I make. I can choose to follow those actions that are
honourable and true. I can practice right attitudes and I can question my
motives to see what the underlying agenda might be. Am I working to God’s
agenda or to my own? And if it’s my own agenda that I follow, am I willing to
let go of it and to seek God’s way instead? These are things that I can
consider, actions that I can put into effect. The other hope I have for
experiencing clean hands and a pure heart is to ask God’s help. He is a
generous giver who will not ignore any genuine and sincere request. I cannot
say what His answer might be, but I know that I trust Him, and that is
sufficient for me. My deep desire is to come near to God and for Him to come
near to me. I will do all I can to further this desire and bring it to reality.
Lord
God,
You
know my heart. You know my desire to live in close relationship, in deep
intimacy with You. I join with the psalmist and cry out that I long to dwell in
Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings (Ps.61.4). I know from my own
experience of camping that tent-dwelling is an intimate way of life. Let me
live in Your tent, Lord, and co-habit with You all the days of my life.
I
give myself to aim for clean hands and a pure heart. I commit to the best of my
ability to seek to be guiltless in my actions, and to live with right attitudes
and motives. I undertake this but I know I will not achieve this solely in my
own strength. So I ask for Your help. Hear my prayer. Receive it, and may Your
Holy Spirit be my true mentor and guide. Show me Your way in everything. Lead
me in that way. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide me into all truth, He
would teach me all things and remind me of everything that Jesus said. I
believe this. I receive the word of my Lord and I hold on to it as the truth. I
believe. I trust You, Lord, with all of my being. Lead me now. Help me in my
quest for clean hands and a pure heart. Wash me and refine me, and continue
this process until I am truly one with You.
This
may happen this side of eternity, yet I can rejoice in daily drawing to You,
offering myself in genuine abandonment to You, seeking and allowing You to have
Your will and Your way in my life.
I
love You. Oh, how sweet it is to say this. There is no loneliness in my life
because You fill it. I’m pressing in, Lord. I want more of You. I’m not
satisfied and so I seek, I ask, and I expect. Meet with me in every situation.
Let me see You in every face I meet. Surprise me, please, with holy
“suddenlies”. Enjoy me, precious Father, and let me enjoy You.
The
day lies before us. I ask You to lead me in everything I do. I want to be
nothing and do nothing without You. I am a child of God. Holy Father, speak to
me, guide me, lead me through. May we enjoy each other. May I know Your
closeness to me today, in Jesus’ Name I ask. Amen.
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