Three Words

A morning reading took me to a place I had no expectations of going.  In the midst of the rather light reading there appeared a Scripture reference which kept calling me back long after the page was turned.  The Word came from James 4:7 which said, "Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."    It is always interesting how a piece of Scripture can take hold in such a way that it cannot be laid down, but continues to command attention.    

One of the things which struck me about the passage is the presence of three very strong action images.  The first is contained within the word, "Submit."  The second is found in the word, "Resist," and the final action image is more than just a verb as it says,  "Draw near."  All three of these words calls us to act.  It speaks of action on our part.   We are not spectators in this faith journey and neither are we simply sojourners upon which God acts.  Instead, we are participants.     

And we are not just participants, but willing and responsible participants.  What God desires to do in and through us is not done apart from our openness for Him to act and our desire for Him to be at work in our hearts.  The openness and the desire which enables Him to bless us is like an open door which can only be opened by each one of us.  As we act, we express our desire for Him to bless and touch our lives with His grace and mercy.  And, He does.