December 12, 2019
James 4:7-10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
New International Version (NIV)
“He is jealous for me . . .”  Those words in a favorite Christian song remind me of how much the Father loves us.  Just as there is such a thing as “righteous anger”, there is such a thing as holy, healthy jealousy.  In our love relationship with God, idols of our own making and choosing so often usurp and supplant God’s rightful place in our hearts.  Why can’t we divide our love for God?  It is indivisible.

God knows that the only way we can rightly love other good things in life is by loving him first and best.  These verses convict me every time I read or recite them.  If we will consciously come near to God he will come near to us.  As soon as God and I get closer, I am conscious of any sin which impedes my relationship with him.  Outward and inward cleansing must ensue. 

When we rightly mourn our sins and humble ourselves before him,  God does not leave us in our sorrow and dejection.  Instead, he exalts us so that we may exult in God.  We humble ourselves when we see ourselves as God does.  He loves us with a jealous love.  When we return to our first love and love God first and best, we will discover that our capacity to love God’s other good gifts like family and friends, far from being diminished, will be greatly expanded.  God’s love is not only indivisible but also infinite.  He never runs out of love for us.  Why would we ever want to run out on a love like that?
Pray with me:       
Father, forgive us for our wandering.  We love you above every other idol in the world.  Thank you for not sharing your rightful first place in our hearts.  Reveal our idols to us today so that we may cast them down.  Increase our love for you.  Let your infinite love empower us to rightly love others as you do.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.  
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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