James 4:5 has always been a puzzling verse to me. I have always read it in the NAS, but recently I read it in the ESV, “Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us.” In the NAS, Spirit is captalized, referring to the Holy Spirit. In the ESV, spirit is not capitalized, referring to our own spirit. So, I began to meditate on the meaning of this text if it is referring to our own spirit.
The spirit of man is that part of him which can fellowship with, commune with, and worship God. But this text says that God is yearning jealously over our spirit. My question is, “Why?” Why does God yearn jealously over our spirit? I think the answer comes from verse 4 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” I did a search, and found that there are 28 direct references to God being jealous in the Old Testament, and almost every time the reason He is jealous is because His people are giving themselves to idols. That must be the reason James calls his readers adulterous people in verse 4. They are spiritual adulterers, because they have given their spirit to the worship of idols rather than the worship of God.
Well, what are they worshipping? Vs. 4 says they have become a friend of the world. There is some aspect of the world that they have become enamored with and have given themselves to. They have become spiritual adulterers because they have worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!
At this point you might be relieved that James could never be speaking about you, because you are not a heathen who worships blocks of wood and stone figures. However, the honest truth is that every person in this world is a worshipper. He may worship his favorite football team, or his job, or his wife, or his kids, or his money, or his power, or sex, or pleasure, or fame. But mark my words, he is a worshipper. The point of this passage in James 4:5, is that God is jealous over our spirit, and everything we permit to draw away our devotion, fellowship and worship from Him.
I have great intentions when I get up in the morning. I’m resolved to go into the study, open my Bible, read, study, meditate, and pour out my heart in prayer and journaling. But what really happens all too often? I go into my study, and flick the mouse on the desk, and get distracted by e-mail, and various issues related to that day’s work. I now realize that God was yearning jealously over my spirit. He didn’t want me giving myself, my time, my devotion, and my affections to the “harmless” things of this world, when I should have been giving Him my total and undivided attention. He wanted me for Himself. So my new practice is to hit the little on/off button on my monitor as soon as I walk into the study in the morning, so that I can’t be distracted from the Greatest and most Satisfying of all Beings – God Himself! And I’ll tell you what – my times spent with Him have been rich and full of joy.
Technology can be a great blessing, if we discipline our use of it. But just like everything else, it can be our undoing and a curse if it draws us away from the true and living God. If you have been giving yourself to something other than God, you need to follow James admonition to “Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil… draw near to God… cleanse your hearts you doubleminded, be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you.” If we will follow James admonition and truly repent of our idolatry, God will draw near to us, and we will find true joy and satisfaction in Him!
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