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Draw near to God and He will draw near to you · UCT Youth Daily Devotion

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  Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and welcome to another episode
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  of the United Church of Tonga Youth Devotion.
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  Our Bible passage for today is taken from the book of James, chapter 4, verse 8.
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  It says, Come near to God, and He will come near to you.
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  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. it.
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  Our theme, draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
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  James urges us to draw closer to God and he will respond kindly.
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  If we actively seek him, God promises to meet us halfway.
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  This reflects an incredible act of God's generosity.
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  He is the all-powerful God who rules both heaven and earth.
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  He owes us nothing, yet he is a gracious God who will tolerate us if we choose to be in his presence.
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  To draw closer to God, we need to seek him through prayer, engage with his word,
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  follow his guidance, and live our lives in accordance with his will.
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  In the second part of the Bible verse, James calls us to wash our hands.
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  He refers to us as sinners and double-minded individuals.
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  According to James chapter 1 verses 6 to 8, double-minded people are those who
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  are unstable and doubtful, attempting to serve both themselves and God.
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  James then urges us to purify our hearts,
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  recognizing that sin creates an impenetrable wall between Christians and the Lord,
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  a spiritual divide that requires a pure heart and sincere confession.
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  So, fellow Christians, if you are hesitant to believe in God and have an unstable
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  faith, purify your hearts.
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  People must have pure, unwavering hearts.
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  We ought to replace hypocritical, double-dealing behavior and attempt to justify our sins with humility.
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  To avoid damaging our relationship with Christ and to maintain our personal
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  communion with Him, we should make every effort to draw closer to Him, abide in Him,
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  restore our relationship and our fellowship, and hold on to Him in prayer.
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  Because Christ has promised to be close to us, those who are covered in His
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  righteousness through faith in Him have been given the right to do so.
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  However, this is only possible if we dedicate our lives to Him,
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  cleanse our souls before Him, and distance ourselves from the outside world,
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  maintaining a cleansed conscience,
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  confessing our sins, and focusing our thoughts on Jesus. Let us pray.
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  Father God, I am a sinner. Forgive me for being double-minded.
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  Help me draw closer to you, Lord, and purify my heart from all doubt and instability.
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  Cleanse me, Lord, and let me stay focused on you.
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  In Jesus' holy name, amen.