March 13 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 72—James 4:4–6

⁴ You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Devotional:

There's a backward slide in these effects of worldliness. There's a growing failure on your part to respond to the grace of God. Breaking your marriage vows to him exposes how shallow and insincere is your love for him. Breaking your fellowship with him shows how lightly you take his saving sacrifice. And breaking his heart is the deepest cut of all. Self-seeking worldliness "blows off" the magnitude of God's grace and love which sent forth his only begotten Son into the world to redeem you; and having adopted you through Jesus Christ, sent forth the Holy Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying out, "Abba! Father!" God knows very well "My people are bent on turning away from me" (Hosea 11:7). Or, as the KJV puts it, "My people are bent to backsliding from me." What's to keep the holy God from casting you away in disgust?

But—thank God—God's Word doesn't stop here. It goes on to assure you: "But he gives more grace" (v. 6a). Your worldliness reveals your ongoing need of Jesus Christ. And God reveals his ongoing grace in Jesus Christ. "But he gives more grace."

Are you guilty because your heart yearns for the things of this world? "But he gives more grace." Are you guilty because your selfishness breaks your relationships with other believers? "But he gives more grace." Are you guilty because your worldliness hinders your prayers? "But he gives more grace." Are you guilty because your self-seeking breaks your communion with the Lover of your soul? "But he gives more grace." Go straight to the Lord who so loves you that he gave his only begotten Son to save you. God cannot resist the humble, broken, and contrite heart. "But he gives more grace." Hallelujah!

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.