Faith for Everyday

Choose Presence Over Performance

Edwine Mbuzaa

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What if closeness to God were one honest step away? We explore the promise at the heart of James 4:8—draw near to God, and He will draw near to you—and turn it into a daily practice you can carry into the busiest, noisiest moments of life.

We start by naming the drift that so many of us feel when notifications, deadlines, and distractions stretch our attention thin. The point isn’t shame; it’s clarity. God hasn’t moved. We have. From there, we offer simple, repeatable ways to return: a quiet breath prayer when your heart is heavy, a short reading even when desire feels small, a few minutes with the noise switched off so you can hear the still small voice. These are not chores. They are openings where presence can do its steady work.

We also lean into the often-missed call to integrity in James 4:8—cleanse your hands, purify your hearts—not as a demand for perfection but as an invitation to align motives and actions. When you trade performance for presence, you stop reaching in the dark and start finding peace, strength, and a new way of seeing. Over time, nearness shapes how you think, speak, and love. Whether you’re walking through fire or quiet, God meets you where you are, not where you pretend to be.

If you’ve felt distant or distracted, let today be marked by nearness, not distance. Take one step—close an app, breathe a prayer, read a verse—and trust the promise that He moves toward you as you move toward Him. If this message encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a quick review to help others find their way back to the quiet.

SPEAKER_00:

Draw me near to God. James chapter 4 verse 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Hello and welcome to day 248 of Faith for Every Day. Today's verse is both a promise and a personal invitation. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Think about that. The God of Heaven, the Creator of the Universe, the ruler of all things, invites you to come close. Not just once, not just when you are perfect, but daily, every season, in every situation. We live in a world that pulls us in a thousand different directions. Notifications, deadlines, distractions. The list goes on. There are so many things calling for our attention. And if we are honest, there are days when we feel distant from God. Not because he moved, but because we drifted. But the beauty of this verse is that it reminds us that closeness with God is a choice. He is not hiding. He is not afraid. He is not far. He is waiting. Waiting for you to make the first move. To draw near to God is to make time for him. It is reading his word even when you do not feel like it. It is whispering a prayer when your heart is heavy. It is turning off the noise so you can hear his will and still small voice. You do not need a perfect setting. You don't need fancier words. You just need a willing heart. And there is a promise that he will draw near to you. That means you will not be left reaching in the dark. The moment you move to a team, he meets you where you are. Whether you are in a season of fire or a season of silence, the Lord wants your presence more than your performance. He is not looking for religious routines. He is looking for a relationship. And the more time you spend with him, the more you begin to change. You begin to think differently, speak differently, and love differently. His presence becomes your peace. His nearness becomes your strength. Today, choose to draw near, find a quiet place. Even if it is just a few minutes, talk to him, read a verse, sit and listen. Even to this podcast, he is closer than you think. And he is ready to meet with you. Let this day be marked by nearness, not distance. Let your heart say, Lord, I want to be close. Thank you very much for joining me for day 248 of faith for every day. God is not far from you. One step towards Him is all it takes. And when you draw near, it draws near.