Turning Back Toward the Light

Bible Verse:
“For this is like the days of Noah to Me; When I swore that the waters of Noah Should not flood the earth again, So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, Nor will I rebuke you. “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My loving kindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you. Is 54:9-10

My thought for today is the calamities of life are not to drag us down but rather to build us up in the Lord. Sometimes God needs to get our attention and He uses the circumstances in life to reach out and touch us. Our compassion for the plight of others, our suffering from circumstances in our own life can be used to draw us closer to God.

It is quite interesting to see what garbs and hold my own attention. My gaze can break away from one activity but unless my heart and mind is engaged I always come back to where they are. Life is about focus. When we focus on circumstances we are always disappointed. When we focus on God we are always lifted up and the fellowship with God comforts us in our need.

Isaiah told the nation of Israel that God loved them. Though they had been taken into exile, their temple destroyed and their lives disrupted forever, God loved them. They had been distracted by the desire to serve many other gods. They had found themselves focused on their lives and earthly relationships and therefore ignoring the One who loved them and continues to love them unconditionally.

Like the churches in the Book of Revelation they had left their first love. I think that we in many our congregations today are in Revelation churches having left our first love. Many have become Laodicean’s and are lukewarm in their relationship with God.

We need an attitude adjustment. God has not left us. His loving kindness is eternal, but rather we have left God. We have turned our back on Him like the nation of Israel. We need to come back to God and truly worship Him with all of our being.

Where is your focus right now? Is it on business and growth or health and happiness? Do you make God a priority or does He get the time that is leftover? The choice is ours to make. If we want to be blessed we need to spend time in His presence, surrendering our lives into His care. He is waiting will you respond!

Bob