DAY 4 - Come Near
DAY 4 - Come Near
READ SLOWLY
1 Kings 18:30 through 32 and James 4:6 through 10
After a full day of shouting at a god who never answered, Elijah turns to the crowd. These are the people who stood silent when he asked them to choose. His first words are not a lecture. Come to me.
Then he repairs the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He did not build something new. He rebuilt what used to be there. There was a time when that altar was a place people met with God. They had let it fall apart.
Some of us keep asking God for something new when he is asking us to return to what we already know. Jesus told the church in Ephesus they had abandoned the love they had at first. His instructions were simple. Remember where you have fallen from. Turn around. Do the things you did at first.
Elijah builds with twelve stones, one for each tribe. That nation had been split in two for generations. But God had not forgotten who they were. They still belonged to him. So do you.
James says it plainly. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. But read the verses around it. Wash your hands. Purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided. Let there be tears for what you have done. Coming near is not casual. It means taking our sin as seriously as God does.
Do not miss what comes right before that, though. He gives us more grace. The call to repent comes from a God who is already moving toward you. You are not crawling back to someone who is waiting to punish you. You are coming home to a Father who has been calling your name.
And remember the water. Elijah soaked that altar three times. Rebuilding the altar did not earn the fire. Your repentance does not earn God’s love either. Jesus already paid for that. Repentance is simply saying, God, this is broken. I abandoned it. I am bringing it back to you.
You do not need something new. You need to come back.
ASK YOURSELF
• What altar in my life has been torn down?
• What did I do at first, when my love for Jesus was fresh, that I have stopped doing?
• What do I need to take more seriously than I have been?
• Do I really believe God is moving toward me?
YOUR NEXT STEP
Name one stone you will set back in place this week. Maybe it is time in the Word, worship, generosity, your small group, or honest prayer. Put it on your calendar. Then read James 5:16 and tell one trusted believer what you are coming back from. Ask them to pray for you.
PRAY
Father, I let the altar fall apart. I did not mean to drift, but I did. I am sorry. Thank you for calling me near instead of sending me away. I am bringing back what I abandoned. I am coming home. Amen.
READ SLOWLY
1 Kings 18:30 through 32 and James 4:6 through 10
After a full day of shouting at a god who never answered, Elijah turns to the crowd. These are the people who stood silent when he asked them to choose. His first words are not a lecture. Come to me.
Then he repairs the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He did not build something new. He rebuilt what used to be there. There was a time when that altar was a place people met with God. They had let it fall apart.
Some of us keep asking God for something new when he is asking us to return to what we already know. Jesus told the church in Ephesus they had abandoned the love they had at first. His instructions were simple. Remember where you have fallen from. Turn around. Do the things you did at first.
Elijah builds with twelve stones, one for each tribe. That nation had been split in two for generations. But God had not forgotten who they were. They still belonged to him. So do you.
James says it plainly. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. But read the verses around it. Wash your hands. Purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided. Let there be tears for what you have done. Coming near is not casual. It means taking our sin as seriously as God does.
Do not miss what comes right before that, though. He gives us more grace. The call to repent comes from a God who is already moving toward you. You are not crawling back to someone who is waiting to punish you. You are coming home to a Father who has been calling your name.
And remember the water. Elijah soaked that altar three times. Rebuilding the altar did not earn the fire. Your repentance does not earn God’s love either. Jesus already paid for that. Repentance is simply saying, God, this is broken. I abandoned it. I am bringing it back to you.
You do not need something new. You need to come back.
ASK YOURSELF
• What altar in my life has been torn down?
• What did I do at first, when my love for Jesus was fresh, that I have stopped doing?
• What do I need to take more seriously than I have been?
• Do I really believe God is moving toward me?
YOUR NEXT STEP
Name one stone you will set back in place this week. Maybe it is time in the Word, worship, generosity, your small group, or honest prayer. Put it on your calendar. Then read James 5:16 and tell one trusted believer what you are coming back from. Ask them to pray for you.
PRAY
Father, I let the altar fall apart. I did not mean to drift, but I did. I am sorry. Thank you for calling me near instead of sending me away. I am bringing back what I abandoned. I am coming home. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotional