Devotion
We want closer to God right, but it's as if we are standing with one clenched fist stretched behind us, holding all of the bad habits and sinful ways that we don't want to let go. The other hand stretches out open in front of us to keep God at a distance so that He "won't see" the things that are closer to our hearts, the hard spots inside of pride or bitterness or you name it. So we block in front, because if He gets too close to "see" those things (which He already sees anyways) He may ask us to let Him change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. There's no praying, no quiet times in His presence, just this struggle against the one who loves us. All the while we are saying, "God, I want to see your blessings, please help, please love, please be near." But our body language just isn't getting the same message across. Worst of all, while we are stalling God at the front door our Enemy finds the back door and has full view of the strongholds that we clench and the resistance to the Lord.
You see my friends, devotion in the Lord must be in full.
James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
