I opened up a new blogspace at
sobrietytest.wordpress.com
and a devotional blog at
undergrounnddevo.wordpress.com
I now longer post or check this one, so check those out!
Peace and love,
J
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Restoration
Recently, I saw second film of the continuing saga of treasure hunter Ben Gates in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Through the course of the movie, Ben finds himself finding clue after clue that eventually leads him to an impasse with the President of the United States. In order to find a key clue that may restore the reputation of his great grandfather, he must convince the President to reveal a secret of his own. Ben is at his wits end and contends that wither it be the office he holds or the person he is, the President is an honorable man…a man of integrity. The President is stunned proclaiming "people don't think that way anymore." I agree. This holiday season I learned something else we don't do anymore. I think that we have lost the fear of God in our society, and in turn, the thought that our hearts, our souls, our lives…need to be restored.
This last year I have gone through a whirl wind of emotions and found myself in a place of wanting…of needing something more. Without my knowledge, even sometimes with it, I have slowly, step by step, walked away from God…not to a place where I am walking without Him, but to a place where I feel quite distant from the closeness I have felt before. I think we all do this. We all keep going about our days, just getting through life when all of the sudden we don't know how we got to the place we are at. Our lives, our choices, our sin has led us down a path separate from where God wants us. We need to get back, but don't know how. We need God to restore us to the place we know we should be.
Isaiah speaks of that very same thing. Israel had made choices that had led them to this place where God wasn't even an afterthought, and they wondered why things weren't turning out the way they should.
Isaiah 1:2-7
2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: "The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master's care— but Israel doesn't know its master. My people don't recognize my care for them." 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see.
Israel was in bad shape. They had walked with God so many years then let everything but Him influence the way they lived their lives. Now they were so far down the wrong path…hurting and yearning for the God they had forsaken. They wanted His relief but not the life that he had chosen for them. They offered up sacrifices in hopes that He would heal them, but He didn't want their sacrifices…he wanted them.
"What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?" says the Lord. "I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? 13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
18 "Come now, let's settle this," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. 19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!"
The same is true of us. He doesn't want our money, or our songs, or anything else we can buy or make to offer up to Him…He wants our hearts, our attention, our lives to live for and after Him. He wants to restore us to the way we should have been…where there is complete joy, love and acceptance. Question is, do we want to be restored? Do we want that life? Do we want Him the way He wants us?
Give up control and give into God.
This last year I have gone through a whirl wind of emotions and found myself in a place of wanting…of needing something more. Without my knowledge, even sometimes with it, I have slowly, step by step, walked away from God…not to a place where I am walking without Him, but to a place where I feel quite distant from the closeness I have felt before. I think we all do this. We all keep going about our days, just getting through life when all of the sudden we don't know how we got to the place we are at. Our lives, our choices, our sin has led us down a path separate from where God wants us. We need to get back, but don't know how. We need God to restore us to the place we know we should be.
Isaiah speaks of that very same thing. Israel had made choices that had led them to this place where God wasn't even an afterthought, and they wondered why things weren't turning out the way they should.
Isaiah 1:2-7
2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: "The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master's care— but Israel doesn't know its master. My people don't recognize my care for them." 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see.
Israel was in bad shape. They had walked with God so many years then let everything but Him influence the way they lived their lives. Now they were so far down the wrong path…hurting and yearning for the God they had forsaken. They wanted His relief but not the life that he had chosen for them. They offered up sacrifices in hopes that He would heal them, but He didn't want their sacrifices…he wanted them.
"What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?" says the Lord. "I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? 13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
18 "Come now, let's settle this," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. 19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!"
The same is true of us. He doesn't want our money, or our songs, or anything else we can buy or make to offer up to Him…He wants our hearts, our attention, our lives to live for and after Him. He wants to restore us to the way we should have been…where there is complete joy, love and acceptance. Question is, do we want to be restored? Do we want that life? Do we want Him the way He wants us?
Give up control and give into God.
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