TeaTime Devotional May 15th, 2025

Written By:  Nancy Jordan

Scripture:       James 4:8         

 "Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded”.  

Testify:

I remember on Saturday, February 1st, 1992, at approximately 9:00 p.m. one of my biggest fears and heartaches occurred at the same time, my mother transitioned.  This was actually three months, and fourteen days before I graduated from Morgan State University.  When I look back over my life during that time, I am not sure how I could have made it without My Heavenly Father above. I operated in the manner of an "Out of Body Experience” for over three years. I had graduated from Morgan State University, moved into a condo, got two jobs, started on my master’s in human resource management at University of New Haven, got pregnant, got married, and many other accomplishments occurred, but I was still missing something within.  February 1995, at a second service at another church is when my life changed for the best.  It was that Sunday evening, when I surrender my life to God.  It was in that church where I was sitting near the back that I found myself up on me feet with both arms stretched out crying out, "YES LORD!!" Although I have my moments of missing my mom, the black cloud that was lingering over me was no longer there. I didn't realize until then that My soul needed a spiritual revival.                                                                                           

Edify:

James 4:8 instructs Christians to draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  This is a call to action that directly relates to the experience of spiritual revival.  When we humble ourselves, confess our sins, and seek God wholeheartedly, we can actually experience a renewed sense of spiritual life and relationship with God, which is a key aspect of revival.   As I go back to my Out of Body Experience, I realize that I was not close to God but instead was numb to him.    The moment that I said YES to the Lord, I stepped closer to him, and he responded by coming close to me.    Since then, I no longer have the black cloud, I now have blue skies in Him.  

Apply:

This walk with Christ is not like a Diet, on and off again.  Instead, we must actively seek him, and his responses daily.  It is about making a conscious choice to prioritize our relationship with God and live a life that honors Him in all we do. Proverbs 21: 2-3 states, " Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.  To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."