Returning to the Lord

"So Samuel said to all the Israelites,

'If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts,

then rid yourselves of the foreign gods

and the Ashtoreths

and commit yourselves to the LORD

and serve him only, 

and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'"

1 Samuel 7:3

The hem of His robe flapped in the wind as I walked by His side.  I drew comfort from the sound that reassured me of His presence.  Joy welled up inside as I gazed upon His loving countenance.  A gentle breeze stirred among the trees as we strolled along the narrow path.  As it grew rocky, I felt my heart flutter, unsure of my footing.   A single glance toward Him, however, was all I needed to restore my confidence in my foothold.

A sweet bunny hopped across the path, headed deep into the forest.  I was drawn as if by an unseen, irresistible force.  Just for a moment.  I will follow it only for a few feet.  I just want to see where it went.  It seemed innocent enough, this sideways jaunt off the path.  My Master will be there when I return.  Not to worry. 

Before I knew what was happening, I was all turned around, confused after only a few minutes of following the meandering trail of the forest creature.  Where is the path?  I must be close, but I don't see it.  This seemed like such a good idea at the time, but now that I'm lost deep in the woods, I wish I could see just a glimpse of my Shepherd.  Only a glance would set my mind at ease.  Why, oh why, did I leave the path of life?

The people of Israel were just like you and me; prone to fall away from the Lord.  As a result, God sent judges to His ancient people, using these leaders to get the people back on track.  In order for this repentance to be deemed as authentic, both for them and for us, it must be accompanied by certain actions.

Wholehearted Devotion

My heart was not in it.  For nearly twenty years, I did what I thought I should.  I read my Bible a few times a week.  Sunday mornings were set aside for church, sometimes even Sunday night.  I tried to talk about God, giving credit to Him when appropriate, although His name felt foreign to my lips. I offered up the obligatory prayer before meals and at bedtime.  I wanted to do right, but it seemed I couldn't stop thinking about myself, my plans and my problems long enough to seek God. (Isaiah 29:13) My spiritual life was quite shallow and unfulfilling.

One day, God introduced Himself to me in the form of a Bible study.  Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby and Claude King, opened my eyes to the truth of His presence in my life and vividly showed me how I can see Him at work all around me and even join in with what He is doing.  Incredible!  This idea of living with Him, in His presence, was so different from what I had been experiencing.  Suddenly, my faith was alive and I found myself wanting more and more of Him.

God did not send Jesus to die a horrible death on the cross so that I could live an unrewarding, meaningless and lifeless existence.  No!  He sent His Son so that I could bear fruit that lasts, experience abundance and flourish like a tree planted by streams of water. (John 15:8,16; John 10:10; John 8:36; Psalm 1:1-3)  Instead, I often choose my own way, fearing to let go of my own desires, unwilling to surrender my plans that seem so good, and hesitating to take the plunge into the sea of life.

Once I do take a chance and jump into the deep waters where Jesus is found, I discover that it is more than I could have ever imagined.  My faith grows as I trust Him more each day.  The bond between us grows stronger as I place more and more of my life into His hands, opening the deepest parts of my heart to Him.  A peace that is beyond my comprehension floods my heart and mind.  Now this is living, I think to myself.  What was a waiting for all those years?

If my repentance is real, it will be marked by a wholehearted devotion to God and His ways.

Purge

A little bit won't hurt, I tried to reassure myself as I stirred up the pot of delicious stew simmering over the campfire.  As I added all the ingredients, a fly had somehow found it's way into the pot.  Before I knew what was happening, it was a part of our dinner.  While I didn't relish the thought of including the disease-laden insect in my family's meal, I tried to justify my willingness to serve such a contaminated dinner by telling myself we were camping so anything goes.  In reality, even one fly is enough to ruin a whole batch of stew.

This is often how I deal with sin.  I figure that as long as I get rid of most of it, I'll be okay.  But even a little bit of envy can steal my contentment.  Even a dab of anger can grow a root of bitterness.  Even a tiny amount of lust can lead my heart away from my one, true Love.

Therefore, it is important that I do as God instructed the Israelites to do and remove every trace of idols and foreign gods.  God knows how easily influenced His people are by temptations that appeal to my fleshly desires, worldly mindsets that contaminate godly thinking, or enticing promises of power and prestige that interrupt God-honoring priorities.  (1 John 2:16)  If I leave even a trace of the sin in my life, it threatens to lead me away from Jesus.

As His child, then, true repentance is marked by a desire to completely purge my life from what offends Him.  If I am convicted to give up curse words, for example, I can't give myself a pass when I'm driving in traffic, figuring that God won't mind if I vent a little.  If God pricks my heart, impressing upon me the importance of giving up offensive movies, I can't allow myself to watch a film laden with dirty language and sex scenes just because it received an Oscar.  Or, if I know God wants me to use my time in a way that honors Him, justfying the hours frittered away in social media because I need a little "down time" won't satisfy God's jealous nature.

If my repentance is real, it will be marked by a true effort to purge my life of the sin that offends my holy Father.

Serve

My Plans.

My Desires.

My Dreams.

My Time.

My Money.

My Family.

My Life.

I like to think they all belong to me.  In the words of Jimi Hendrix, "I'm the one who has to die when its time for me to die, so let me live my life, the way I want to."

While it may seem like common sense that everything in my life belongs to me, when I enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, He becomes Lord of my life.  Now I have a new Master.  Instead of me being the author of my life, Jesus has stepped into that position.  Since He's not a bully, however, He will not forceably take headship.  Instead, He waits until I relinquish control, letting Him step into His rightful place as Lord of my life; a position which He gave His life as a ransom to purchase. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Therefore, when I want to serve my own interests, I can instead be all about my Father's business.  When I am tempted to run after the things I think I need, becoming a slave to my hunger, I can let my Father provide what He sees fit.  When I give my life in service to my family, dedicating myself to it's health and the well-being of every member, I can try serving God instead, placing my loved ones in His capable hands.

It is easy to let other people, pursuits or passions take the place of God in my life.  When I choose to cater to the needs of myself and others instead of following God and God alone, I am in danger of being unfaithful to Him.  If I make it my heart's desire to do only as He bids, then I will never go wrong.  Merely doing what I think is right will always lead to destruction.  (Proverbs 14:12)  

If my repentance is real, it will be marked by my endeavor to serve God and only Him.

I have much in common with the people of Israel who were prone to wander.  Likewise, I find it much easier to fall off the path of life than to keep my foot steady upon its hard surface.  Therefore, it is important that I turn toward God in repentance of my wayward ways.  When I do, I will know if this change is real by whether I am giving Him all of me, if I'm willing to rid myself of all temptation, and if I serve only God.  In these ways I will know that I am truly returning to the Lord.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Jesus.

When do I get distracted by things that don't really matter?

How am I easily discouraged from living a pure life?