Text
KJV Below (link to NIV)
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Comment
While James has been somewhat harsh up to this point, he now offers some hope. It seems like an insurmountable task to beat the devil, to live up to the standards of God, to be perfect starting with our mouths. And it is. Yet we don’t do it on our own. Begin to resist, and the devil runs. Not because we are scary, but because we serve a mighty God. If we take those first steps to God, he runs near to us. Repent and be humble so that God may lift you up.
Question
How often do you try to do things on your own? Do you think you need to be perfect before you can love or honor God? Have you ever know the joy of just stopping, coming humbly, admitting you can’t do it on your own, and let God lift you the rest of the way?
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