Draw Near to God, Wash Your Hands

This morning I am reflecting on a few verses from James 4:7-8,13-14a NIV:

[7] "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

[13] Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” [14] Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. "

I found these two sets of verses very applicable to our present situation!  In fact, the admonition to "wash your hands" is almost humorous, if we wanted to take it out of context. :-)

Anyway, in reverse order, James' statement about not knowing what will happen tomorrow, definitely resonated with my heart!  Although, now with the social distancing guidelines, and "Shelter in place" rules, tomorrow is very predictable, and it will look much like today.  That being said, in a greater world perspective, I think much of the fear and anxiety is caused by the fact that we really don't know what tomorrow will bring.  Who would have thought even a month ago that we would be in this present situation.  Fear of the unknown,  and fear of things being out of one's control are significant fears.  I think for many, especially those who walk through this world without faith in God, these days are very difficult, as nothing seems normal, and much of what was foundational in their worldview has shifted, or failed. 

As Christians, we can place our trust in the Lord, in His faithfulness, in His love, mercy and compassion.  We can bring hope and speak hope to those in need.  We can allow the Holy Spirit to speak guidance and peace through us to those who are struggling.  We are representatives of the only One who knows how this will end, who sees the beginning and the end!

Secondly, if we are struggling with these times ourselves, we submit ourselves to God!  We can resist the devil and all that he is trying to sow into our hearts and minds, one of which is fear!  The way to combat fear is to rest in the arms of perfect love!  I love James' encouragement to come near to God!  That is our answer, for He is the rock on which we can stand (PS 62:2), for He is unchanging (Heb 6:17).  His love for us hasn't changed.  He wasn't surprised by this virus!  He hasn't been kicked off His throne.  He hasn't lost any power.  He is still our miracle worker, our provider, our healer and our salvation. 

Finally, the washing of hands, here, has to do with our sinful ways.  Notice that James makes it clear, it is for us to wash our hands, and for us to purify our hearts.  Both are the result of our choices, and we must learn to cleanse our lives.  Maybe we could use our actual washing of our hands to remind ourselves of our need to request forgiveness and help as we choose to embrace God rather than our own desires. 

In James' comment that we need to purify our hearts if we are double-minded, I believe he is speaking of our hearts affections.  This time of shaking can definitely help us to see whats really in our hearts.  One of my friends was talking about this time as a sort of refiners fire, and that is an appropriate image.  Heat causes what was once solid to become fluid, and at the same time, causes those impurities rise to the surface.  In the same way, our day to day situation has become much more fluid, and how we respond to it should reveal much about what's in our hearts and minds.

So this morning, I am encouraged to draw near to God, to rest in His arms, and to resist the temptation to react out of fear.  I am encouraged to put my trust in God, for He does know what tomorrow will bring!  I am encouraged to put God as my bedrock, that upon which my life and my perspective of life are built.  I am encouraged to be a purveyor of hope, to speak hope, to give hope!  Help me to trust in You Lord, regardless of the changing world around me!

Amen