Matthew 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

I have never heard anyone say they are too close to God, have you? If you stop and think on that for a moment, you will see how much sense my statement makes. The more one draws close to God, the more one wants to be closer, as this relationship enriches the soul and brings peace and purpose to one’s life. God desires that closeness with you; He wishes to reveal His love to you, His guidance, and understanding. It is a promise, and God never breaks His promises, standing steadfast in His commitment to us. If He says He will draw close to you as a result of your search, He will do so! Every step taken in faith brings you nearer to the heart of the Creator, lighting your path and feeding your spirit in ways you can’t even imagine.

Getting closer to God means placing a barrier between what the world is teaching us and what God’s Word teaches us. It brings to mind how we wore masks during the pandemic in order to keep the germs away from us, creating a protective shield that helped preserve our health and well-being. Are the world’s teachings any different than those germs? Just as we took precautions to guard ourselves from sickness, why aren’t we protecting ourselves in like manner from the practices of the world that can corrupt our faith and values? I can think of so many things the world promotes that, as Christians, we should be “masking” our spiritual selves against! It is essential that we recognize these influences, ensuring that we align more closely with the teachings of Christ rather than the teachings of society. To name a few of these teachings:

• Abortion
• Pornography (yes, those who call themselves Christians should not be engaging with this)
• Antisemitism
• Gossip
• Anger

We can say all we want that we love God and are Christians. But how does your heart really feel? You can lie to yourself, but deep down you know the truth! I know that when I sin, the Holy Spirit of the Living God convicts me and I feel awful, as if a heavy weight rests upon my conscience. This conviction not only brings spiritual discomfort but also serves as a wake-up call, urging me to realign my life with God’s will. Each moment of struggle with sin becomes an opportunity for growth and deeper understanding of His grace. This conviction causes me to acknowledge to God what I have done and leads me to repentance and the need to turn back to Him. Repentance is a complete turning away from that sin, a desire to live in a way that honors Him and reflects His love. Granted, one can fail in this area, but those occurrences will happen less and less as the Lord guides and directs you. Every step forward in faith brings a renewed sense of joy, knowing that with each failure, there is an opportunity for His mercy to abound even more.

1 John 1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1 John 1:9-10  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (10)  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ has paid the debt for our sins … all of them! When we come to Christ, our sins are forgiven; we now possess the Holy Spirit who enables us to say no to sin! However, we live in this flesh … in this body … which desires to sin. That is why we must stay close to God in order to overcome sin.

1 John 2:1-6  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:  (2)  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  (3)  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  (4)  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  (5)  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.  (6)  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

The Christian walk is not an easy walk. We are constantly battling with the physical flesh that craves to sin. But it is a “doable” walk, my friend! It is not an impossible walk. We can use each failure to draw nearer to God. In so doing, He gives us the strength to overcome. Reading my Bible every day strengthens my inner woman.

Do you need more strength to draw nearer to God? Read your Bible! It is the answer to all struggles in life! If you happened to stumble onto this page, I pray that you know the Lord Jesus Christ in your inner man, not just your head. If you don’t, please follow this link and read the Scriptures that will open your eyes to eternal salvation!