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June 17, 2020
Today’s Promise
When I Draw Close to Him, He Draws Close to Me
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
When you stray from the Lord, He is ready to greet and welcome you when you return to Him.
Draw Near
James gives us an incredibly powerful promise. When we draw close to God, He draws close to us.
We all have times when we have moved away from the Lord. It may have been defiant, where we chose our desires or a sin over obedience to Christ. We heard the Holy Spirit speaking in our ear, but we ignored Him and stayed in our sin.
It may have been that we simply allowed the other things of life to move Jesus to second place. Like a boat slowly drifting in the water’s current, we didn’t intend to get away from God, we just slowly drifted away from Him.
In either case, we have the promise of a welcomed return.
A Welcome Return
Like the prodigal son, when you realize your situation and come running home to God, you see Him running toward you; arms open welcoming you home.
There are two requirements for you to draw near to God.
First, you must cleanse your hands. This means you must leave behind the sin that moved you away from Him in the first place. It is lining up your actions with His lordship. You cleanse your hands by turning from your sin to Christ.
Second, you must purify your heart. The birthplace of our actions is our heart. Our heart must be completely His. A double-minded person is one who is undecided between two ideas. Jesus wants all your heart. You must choose to follow Christ wholeheartedly. Jesus is either Lord and master or He is not.
When you change your heart and change your actions, you have the promise that as you return to Christ, He will welcome you into His presence. You never have to fear rejection from the Lord. Your father will draw near to you, as you draw near to Him.
Let’s look at that promise again.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8
Make these confessions.
- God is ever ready and waiting to welcome me back into His presence.
- I cannot be double-minded and draw close to God.
- I can’t keep my sin and walk in His presence.
- When I draw close to God, He draws close to me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Have you drifted from the presence of God? Is there a need to come back to Him? Have you allowed your desires or a sin to keep you away from the Lord?
No matter how far away you are from God when you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
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Was there a time when you were afraid to return to the Lord? Share your story below.
Praise God! So True every day it’s a struggle! But I bless God that I’m holding on! It’s a powerful thing when you allow God to move in your life, way back I use to be scared to come back to God didn’t know which way to go!! Because I let sin consume me! And
Was scared to walk away from my Sin but the older I got I got wiser in God and the more I didn’t allow that sin to consume me ??????I know how to stay before God in Jesus Mighty Name Amen ?
Praise God! So True every day it’s a struggle! But I bless God that I’m holding on! It’s a powerful thing when you allow God to move in your life, way back I use to be scared to come back to God didn’t know which way to go!! Because I let sin consume me! And
Was scared to walk away from my Sin but the older I got I got wiser in God and the more I didn’t allow that sin to consume me ??????I know how to stay before God.