Stay Connected to Your Source

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 ESV

After an emotional and exhausting day, Ray walked into the living room and told the Alexa device to pause several times, but she repeatedly refused to comply, stating she “did not know that one.” Confused, he looked closer and realized the music wasn’t coming from the Alexa device, but instead from the television.

It’s impossible to respond appropriately if you’re not connected to the right source. As a believer, your source of life is a divine connection with the very One who breathed His life into you. The verse today encourages you to move closer to God with every fiber of your being. And the closer you come to God, the closer He will be to you.

So, how can you come near to God? James Chapter 4 gives clear instruction:

1. Submit to God (4:7). Yield to His authority and will, commit your life to Him and His control, and be willing to follow Him.
2. Resist the devil (4:7). Don’t allow satan to entice and tempt you.
3. Wash your hands … and purify your hearts (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire to sin with your desire to seek God with your whole heart in obedience to His word.
4. Express sorrow for your sins (4:9). Lay your heart open before God and express how you feel about your past and your thankfulness for His forgiveness.
5. Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up (4:10; 1 Peter 5:6). Your value comes from God alone. You are nothing in your own power, but with His power and guidance you can become all He created you to be.

Although we do not warrant God’s favor, His great love considers us of great worth in spite of our shortcomings.

Today’s One Thing

Look at the five ways outlined above in how you can draw near to God. Choose one of those five things to do this week. Make it a habit by setting an appointment reminder on your phone several times a day to spend a few minutes doing that one thing.

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