A Command For A New Year (Draw Nigh Unto Me And I Will Draw Nigh Unto You)

That should not surprise us!!!

People are going to them to see what this coming year holds for them.

Of course this is a waste of time and money because no man knows what the future holds.

Palm reading is a practice that involves interpreting the lines and shapes of one’s hand to predict their future.

While some people believe in the accuracy of palm reading, it is not supported by scientific evidence and is considered a pseudoscience.

IT CERTAINLY IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE SCRIPTURES!!!

As a Christian, it is important to be aware that palm reading is a form of divination, which is forbidden in the Bible.

Christians are called to trust and seek God alone, and not to rely on any other means of divination.

Therefore, it is not recommended for Christians to engage in palm reading or to seek guidance from palm readers.

Instead, Christians can seek guidance from God through prayer, reading the Bible, and seeking counsel from fellow believers.

The Bible provides guidance on how to live a fulfilling life and how to make wise decisions.

Only God knows the future…no man knows the future….NO MAN or WOMAN!!!

Illus: If mankind could know what the future holds for them everybody that invest in the stock market would be going to these palm readers and fortune tellers to know the future and they would be getting inside information which is illegal

We enter this NEW YEAR as we did last year not knowing what the future holds for any of us.

However after a couple of years dealing with COVID19 most of us are glad to see a NEW YEAR!

Often we hear people say that they want more of God in their life, and I guess they do!

HOW CAN WE HAVE A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD?

Illus: There is an ancient tale from India about a young man who was seeking God. He went to a wise old sage for help and asked, “How can I find God?”

The old man took him to a nearby river. They waded into the deep water. Soon the water was up just under their chins.

Suddenly the old man seized the young man by the neck and pushed him under the water. He held the young man down until he was flailing the water in desperation. Another minute and he may well have drowned. Up out of the water the two of them came.

The young man was coughing water from his lungs and still gasping for air.

• Reaching the bank he asked the old sage, indignantly, “What did that have to do with wanting more of God in my life?

• The old man asked him, “While you were under the water, what did you want more than anything else?”

• The young man said, “I wanted air. I wanted air more than anything else!”

• The old man replied, “When you want God as much as you wanted air, you will find more of God in your life.”

This was basically what David said in Psalm 63:1. We read, “...O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land...”

We can never have a close walk with the Lord until we THIRST FOR THE THINGS OF GOD.

As I preach this sermon I am going to assume everyone here want more of God in your life than last year.

Did you know the Bible tells us how that can be accomplished?

First we must…

I. DRAW NIGH TO GOD

Take a close look at our text, James 4:8. We read, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you...”

Notice, God places the first step of responsibility on us to DRAW NIGH TO GOD.

He tells us to draw nigh to Him, and then He will draw nigh to us.

Illus: I take from that verse:

• If I take a step toward God, God will take a step toward me

• If I take two steps toward God, God will take two steps toward me.

HOW DO WE TAKE A STEP TOWARD GOD?

(1) Start attending church on a regular basis.

(2) Start making time for prayer daily.

(3) Start making time for Bible reading daily.

(4) Start making room for God in your life daily.

(5) Start making time to talk to others about the Lord to other.

As you take these steps and other steps toward God you will began to get closer to God.

In every step I take He will take one toward me.

Why do we have to make the first step?

Well, actually we are not making the first step.

When the Lord Jesus stepped out of heaven onto this earth, HE TOOK THE FIRST STEP.