James 4:8a, what can I say about this wonderful promise that jumped out at me today? I’ve read it so many times, but today, the power of this one passage gripped my heart as though I were being born-again AGAIN! James 4:5 tells us that God “Jealously desireth us” (Alford Trans). God wants to be in our presence. He wants us to know Him, to experience Him, to enjoy Him… God is the end of the Gospel. Healing is not the end of the Gospel, though it is certainly a major part of it, power isn’t the end of the Gospel, though it is a major part of it; God, His Presence, knowing Him that is the end result of the Gospel (John 17:3).
What a joy to know that we have the opportunity to KNOW God. Today, we could focus on a great many things, there are always distractions in our lives. We could literally go days and even weeks sometimes without shutting the door, opening our Bibles, and getting on our knees before God and saying, “Lord Jesus, show me something about Yourself today… Reveal Yourself to me… Holy Spirit, talk to me about who Jesus is and how I can please Your Heart” (John 14:21b and John 16:13-15). A 24 hour period should never, ever pass by the child of God without us receiving some revelation, some insight into the nature of our Father.
We are promised that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. He took the first step in our salvation (John 15:16, Romans 8:29, and Eph. 1:5), now, in getting to know Him, we must move toward Him. He chose us, but now that we have been chosen, we must choose Him, desire Him, and draw closer to Him.
Remember that first moment, when you first received the revelation that God loved you, and then you called on the Name of Jesus and you were born-again? It’s time to recapture that love. Call on the Name of Jesus. Pray. Set aside time today, go to your bedroom and call on the Name of Jesus. Take time to forget pressing matters. Take time to set aside everything that would hinder you from drawing closer. Get closer today.
Pointers for Getting Closer to His Presence:
- Pray, everyday
- Read the Word, everyday
- Worship, everyday
- Assemble with believers who pray and study the Word (Hebrews 10:25 and Matthew 18:20)
- Fellowship with those believers, often
Developing Your Faith 
Thank you for posting this. I am on the same page with you brother.For me its a time of getting back to the essentials now. This is bringing it all home even more
Powerful Word! I need to go and get back into the presence of God, and on a daily basis!