Tag: James 4:8

Protection Is Found

On May 19, 2025

Psalm 91:1-4 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. (4) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Did you know that shade provides temperatures 25 degrees lower than standing in the sun? What a relief it is to be walking in the heat of day, then to come under a tree to feel the shade it provides! To top it off, now add a cold glass of lemonade or iced tea! Ahhhhh! As you sit down and lean against the tree, you can experience what it is like to be under God’s wings. What does that mean, exactly? What do His wings provide? I can think of several things:

It provides shade: When life gets “hot” with worries and troubles, the Lord God provides us with comfort to decrease that heat. Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
It provides protection: God protects us from the enemy’s darts and efforts to deflate your zeal for the Lord. Psalm 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
It provides a covering: Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. When Adam and Eve sinned, God covered them with the skins of a slain animal. Blood was shed in order for them to be covered. Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Just as Jesus’ blood was shed to cover our sins!
It provides “closeness”: The Lord is never so far that He cannot hear you. He hears the faintest whisper of a cry when you are too overwhelmed to speak. Like the Shepherd who carries a wounded sheep, the Lord presses up against us and carries us through our trials. Psalm 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Today’s hymn brings such comfort to my spirit. We are living in times of uncertainty. The days are getting truly more wicked than ever. We think things can’t possibly get any worse; but yet, they will as the Bible tells us. Read the words below and listen to the hymn again. Let this mini message from Mr. Cushing sink deep so you can see the Lord’s works in your life.

Under His Wings – by William Orcutt Cushing

1 Under His wings I am safely abiding;
  Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me;
  He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

CHORUS:
Under His wings, under His wings,
  Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
    Safely abide forever.

2 Under His wings—what a refuge in sorrow!
  How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
  There I find comfort, and there I am blest.

3 Under His wings—oh, what precious enjoyment!
  There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
  Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.

God provided His Holy Spirit to live within us. He never leaves us because He’s in us and with us. We know that each name of God has a purpose. In this case, Emmanuel (God with us) tells us that Christ’s Holy Spirit lives here and now, within each born-again believer. Christ left us His Spirit so we could always be under His wings. Did you know that the Book of John is the only Gospel that calls the Holy Spirit “Comforter”?

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

The Comforter places us under His wings – are you abiding there? Only God’s Word can promise your very own place to retreat and find solace. Find Jesus there while you wait for His return!

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End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 6

By Kate Plourde

On January 12, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

As we live out our lives in these end times, we can see more and more evil in the world. What used to be thought as good is not bad, and vice versa. The world has turned upside down. But how does a person know what is right and what is wrong? God gave us all a conscience and we are born with the innate ability to know the difference. However, as we get older, the god of this world infiltrates that ability just as he did in the Garden of Eden.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

“Hath God said,” is probably the devil’s favorite phrase! He causes man to doubt and to change his ways. He numbs the conscience so that there no longer is a conscience! So how does a person know what is right?

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to God’s Word. It’s fitting that Jesus Christ is known as the Word of God. (John 1:1-5) The answer to all of life’s questions actually lie in this verse. Man’s whole life is spent searching for the true meaning of life. Some don’t understand what they are searching for while others take the advice of friends. Mankind is always searching for what will me them happy.

Scripture instructs us on how to be happy. True happiness can only be found when we have Christ as our Saviour. There’s no other that can bring total joy and satisfaction. Christ’s saving blood covers our sin and His word allows us to learn and draw from Him. In these difficult times, draw close to His side through the Bible. Read and absorb and then reach out to others to share the Gospel.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Psalmist knew hundreds of years ago just how to cleanse his way and that was through the Word of God! He knew that cleansing only came from God.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

This cleansing occurs when one is born again! (John 3:3, John 3:7) When one’s spirit is born again, it’s a totally new life! (2 Corinthians 5:17) A thief no longer steals, a liar no longer lies; it is a change of one’s mind and a decision to no longer live in sin but live with Christ as the Captain of your ship. He directs and guides, like a rudder, through His Word.

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 5

By Kate Plourde

On January 10, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

How these end-time events have grabbed hold of men’s hearts and turned them into evil hearts. The more the Bible has been removed from public places, and personal lives, the less people think about its contents. Its contents used to be considered so sacred that men swore oaths with their hand upon it. Why? Because it used to be considered holy and when an oath was taken with hand on the Bible, it was believed that man’s response to that oath would be truth! It is no longer. In one of our Lord, Jesus Christ’s prayers, He told the Father:

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

How can one follow a “book” in obedience without it containing truth? Would you base your life on a Star Wars novel? Of course not. Within the pages of the Bible, you have the very words of God. All of the Bible is truth and you can rely that you are not being misguided. In its pages you find direction and answers to every question in life.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Man’s whole life is spent searching for the true meaning of life. Some don’t understand what they are searching for while others take the advice of friends. Mankind is always searching for what will me them happy.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Psalmist knew hundreds of years before how to cleanse his way and that was through the word of God! He knew that cleansing only came from God.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

It is only through salvation can a person find peace in the midst of the tumultuous times to come. If you think things are bad now, wait until after the Rapture of the Church. Don’t be left behind! Settle where you are going to spend eternity right now. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Nearer My God to Thee

By Kate Plourde

On August 23, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee;
E’en though it be a cross
  That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

Though, like a wanderer,
  The sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me,
  My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

There let me see the sight,
  An open heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
  In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

Then, with my waking thoughts
  Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
  Bethel I’ll raise,
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee
https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/christianlyrics/nearermygodtotheelyrics.html

The History Behind the Hymn

Sarah Flower Adams was a British actress who received praise for her performance in an 1837 production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. After health problems disrupted her plans to continue with theater, she found comfort in writing poems and hymns.

Her most notable hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” came about in 1841 when Adam’s pastor was looking for a hymn for the following week’s sermon on Genesis 28:11-19, which is referred to by many as “Jacob’s ladder,” or “Jacob’s dream.” Adams offered to write the hymn and completed it within a week to go along with the pastor’s sermon. The hymn was originally set to music written by her sister, Eliza Flower, but another hymn-tune called “BETHANY,” written by Lowell Mason in 1856, has become most widely recognized and is most familiar to listeners today.
https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/nearer-my-god-to-thee-history-and-lyrics.html

A Lesson for Me

Psa 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

How does one draw near to God? How can you have that relationship with the Lord that close and personal? The Bible states that God doesn’t hear the prayers of sinners (John 9:31). The Scriptures also state that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, according to John 14:6. Jesus in the One that provides the way for us to have a close relationship, not only to Him but to the Father! He is the only Mediator we need! (1 Timothy 2:5)

At the moment of salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit to help us through our daily lives! We don’t need anyone else to intercede for us to the Father. The Holy Spirit intercedes for the believer so our prayers are in accordance with the will of God. Here’s a good example: You are praying for a new car and are looking at a Cadillac. The Holy Spirit knows that it won’t fit in your budget so He intercedes for you and God puts a cheaper vehicle in your path. I know this is basic but it proves my point.

Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

There let me see the sight,
  An open heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
  In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
  Nearer to Thee.

Message for today

Today’s Gospel message is so diluted. They preach a loving God, which He is, but they don’t preach that He also requires repentance. One can sit in a garage all day but will never be able to claim that he is a car. It’s no different than calling yourself a Christian just because you go to church. There must be a change of heart, mind and direction!

When a person is truly born-again, Jesus becomes the center of his/her focus. Decisions are made with the Lord in mind; life’s trials are viewed through the Word of God. The things that used to appeal to the believer are no longer desired. The heart is convicted when sin is committed. If this has not happened to you, then you must think about it.

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

One cannot be practicing sin and worshipping God at the same time. This is what James calls double-minded. He also points out that we must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Seeking forgiveness for sins is not asking Jesus to die on the cross again so that those sins can be forgiven. They are already forgiven. What is necessary is that you acknowledge that sin, feel remorse for it and turn from it. That is repentance, my friend.

Born-again believers should see sin with different eyes and with a different heart. It should pain us, tear us apart inside, when we sin! As we grow older in the Lord and closer to Him, we will hurt more each time we sin. We see sin with the same eyes as God does. This is drawing nigh to Him. This is the whole point of today’s hymn.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!