7月28日

標　　題：親近神

經　　節：你們親近神，神就必親近你們。有罪的人哪，要潔淨你們的手！心懷二意的人哪，要清潔你們的心！（雅各書四章8節）

有時候，我們覺得神似乎離自己好遠。你可能覺得自己的禱告只上達到天花板。雅各說，只有一個原因導致如此，這是有解決之道的。如果遠離神，那是因為你的罪使你與祂隔離。

神是永不改變的，祂的本性是完全聖潔。祂的信實保持一致，改變的是我們。我們允許罪進入我們的生命。我們選擇自己的道路。我們愈來愈少讀經禱告。然後，有一天我們發現自己漸漸遠離了神。雅各所指出的解決之道相當直截了當：親近神。當我們發覺自己需要更親近神，並且回轉到祂的跟前，祂就像那浪子的父親一樣，張手歡迎我們（路加福音十五：20）。

親近神需要你採取兩個行動。首先，要潔淨你的手（以賽亞書一：15），潔淨自己的生活方式。如果你已經陷入罪惡的深淵，一定要棄絕罪。如果你做了任何事傷害某人，一定要解決這件事。其次，要潔淨你的心（詩篇五十一：10）。你必須要讓自己的心思意念、態度和動機，在神的眼中為正，並且與神的話一致。耶穌警告你不要事奉兩個主（馬太福音六：24）。對其他東西的愛與對神的愛如果相當，是不可能討神喜歡的。

如果覺得神似乎離自己好遠，一定要潔淨你的手和你的心，來親近祂。

Draw Near to God

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)

There may be times when God seems far away. You may feel as if your prayers go unheard. James said there is a simple reason for this and a solution. If you are far from God, it is because your sin has separated you from Him.

God is unchanging. His character stays absolutely holy. His faithfulness remains constant; it is we who change. We allow sin into our lives. We choose our own direction. We spend less and less time with Him in Bible study and prayer. Then one day we realize that we have gradually grown distant from God. The solution, according to James, is straightforward. We are to draw near to God. As we realize our need to be closer to the Father and we begin to return to Him, He meets us even as the father hurried to greet his prodigal son (Luke 15:20).

Drawing near to God requires you to take two actions. First, you must cleanse your hands (Isa. 1:15). You must cleanse your way of living. If you have been actively engaged in sin, you must renounce it. If you have done anything to offend or hurt someone, you must make it right. Second, you are to purify your heart (Ps. 51:10). You must make certain your attitudes, thoughts, and motives are right in God’s eyes and are in harmony with God’s word. Jesus warned that you cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). It is impossible to love anything else as much as you love God and still please Him.

If God seems distant, do what is necessary to cleanse your hands, purify your heart, and draw near to Him.