You’re Not Too Far
An invitation to walk with God again—one step at a time
I didn’t mean to start a new devotional series when I opened to James 4. Honestly, I was just trying to read through it for my women’s Bible study. But as I read, I found myself slowing down. Then rereading. Then underlining. Then just sitting with the weight of it.
Twelve verses. Ten commands. One invitation:
Come back to Me.
James isn’t gentle here, but he’s not cruel either. He’s honest. Direct.
It almost feels like an intervention for a distracted heart.
He’s speaking to believers who are pulled in every direction—trying to love God and still befriend the world. People who are fighting, comparing, striving… and slowly drifting from the very One who can give them peace.
Sound familiar?
It does to me. I’ve lived in that tension—torn between my flesh and my faith.
Wanting God, but still gripping control. Worshiping with one breath and worrying with the next.
But James doesn’t just convict—he clears a path forward.
A way to come home again.
📖 The Church Then… and Us Now
The early church James was writing to was struggling with conflict, selfish desires, and spiritual compromise. And instead of sugar-coating it, James calls it what it is: spiritual adultery. He tells them plainly—this life you’re living doesn’t match the One you claim to follow.
But even after the hard truth, he says something I didn’t expect:
“But He gives more grace.”
— James 4:6
Isn’t that just like God?
Even when we mess up, even when we wander or rebel or shut down,
He still wants us back.
And He shows us how to come back.
🌿 The Ten Commands That Lead Us Home
In James 4:7–10, we find ten short but powerful commands.
They’re not rules to perform—they’re invitations to return.
Together, they create a path that leads us from chaos to closeness,
from sin to surrender,
from distance to nearness.
This series, Draw Near, will walk through each one.
Slowly. Gently. Week by week.
✨ The Ten Commands:
Submit to God
Resist the devil
Draw near to God
Cleanse your hands
Purify your hearts
Grieve
Mourn
Weep
Turn your laughter to mourning
Humble yourself before the Lord
💛 Let’s Walk It Together
This isn’t a challenge to do more.
It’s an invitation to come closer.
If you've ever felt too far, too distracted, too ashamed, or too broken—this is for you.
You don’t have to clean yourself up first.
You don’t have to earn your way back.
You just have to take the first step.
I’ll be walking with you through it.
Not as someone who has this all figured out,
but as someone who’s learning how to submit, resist, draw near, and return—over and over again.
So grab a journal. Bring your Bible. Invite a friend if you'd like.
And let’s walk the road back to God—one step at a time.
🙏 A Prayer to Begin
Lord, we don’t want to stay distant.
We don’t want to numb, avoid, or pretend.
We want to come near—to walk with You again.
Speak clearly as we study these verses.
Break what needs to break. Heal what needs to heal.
And in every step, remind us:
You are here.
Amen.
Wonderful! You are so talented! Love you!