Walk the Walk!

       Have you ever heard the expression,"You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"    Basically, it says we can say a lot about any number of things, but there comes a time when we have to put to practice that which we preach.  I had recently mentioned in a class how important it was to read a certain portion of Scripture every day.  It is for the study we are currently pursuing in the Book of James.  A number of things, however came into my life unexpectedly causing me to fall short of my own goal.  I missed a couple of days in my own reading goal.  Oh, they were noble things,but still, I didn't get the job done.   James 4:7-8 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
       One thing for sure, the Book of James is practical.  There are a number of commands in the book which involved things that we should put to use in our own lives.  The little saying comes into play at this point.  We can talk about them all we want but that doesn't necessarily make it come to pass.  That is when we say that we can say the right words but that isn't going to be a guarantee that they will happen in our lives.  Even noble things can come into your life which may interfere with your goals.  When I look back on my particular situation, there were things that could have been given a far less priority than I gave them.  Then, I would have had time.  Our passage for today reminds us to draw nigh to God.  As soon as you declare that you desire to draw night to God, Satan takes a quick jab at you and you almost forget the goal that you had in mind.  People often give us formulas for drawing near to God.  One recently stated that we should put aside twelve minutes a day for a time of devotion.  Dr. Harry Inronside once recommended fifteen minutes a day divided up equally with reading, meditating and praying.  Think about it!  We are advised to spend a mere 12 to 15 minutes a day in a time of devotion.  It is true that this may be a start, but it is far less than we should be doing.  So, as we talk about drawing near to God, let us begin now to take steps in our journey.  May we indeed be able to walk the walk.  Praise God today that He longs to have intimate fellowship with us.  May we have the same desire in our hearts