“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:7-10)

     If I’m not mistaken, the tone of James’ remarks sounds like we are being lectured, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  We all reach a point where we have to acknowledge the need for help, and this is help from someone who understands us, and understands our weaknesses.  And that someone is our Lord Jesus Christ.

     I love it when he says, “resist the devil, and he will flee.” When we bluntly say “no” to temptation, our adversary has no recourse.  He will leave us and go on to someone else who might be more vulnerable.  And drawing close to God helps in all situations.  Let’s thank God for his perfect plan for us, and how he redeems us if we just humble ourselves before him:

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that I can depend on you, as I am reminded not to think so highly of myself, but to draw on your strength.  Thank you for redeeming us when we submit ourselves to you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.