In our Christian circles there are a group of believers who have the perception that once you have accepted Jesus, they are free to live life however they see fit. They give their life to God in a moment and in the next take it back trusting in themselves over what God has planned for them. Even when God removes them from a life that was full of pain and suffering they look back seeing the good in the bad, not looking forward to the hope that God has promised for those who wait just a little longer. Just like the people Moses freed from slavery and oppression, even at the first obstacle of the Red Seas they were prepared to go back and accept their old life.
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
Hebrews 3:16
Those who accept Christ yet choose to focus on how they used to live are going to keep stumbling in their faith. The Israelites who kept looking back at Egypt with false fantasies never stopped. Even after God split the Red Sea, allowing them to walk through and wipe out their oppressors. Even then after walking for many years they asked to go back, food was lacking, yet God provided food. They kept dwelling on the old ways and their old life. God continued to provide for the stubborn people, bringing them to the promised land. Sending spies to scout it out the people refused to take the risk in their own strength to go into the promised land. This rebellion or refusal to go where God had called them kept that generation from experience God’s promise.
As believers in Christ, we need to keep our focus on what God has for us. When we run after our own desires without seeking God we tend to revert back to our sinful ways. Like a leaf in the wind, we go where ever the winds take us, which can lead us into trouble. If you have been in any church setting long enough you will have seen believers walk away from the faith, maybe you have as well. It doesn’t seem to take much for one who once lived a vibrant life to set aside the life God has given. They face some opposition or oppression and focus on the moment just like the Israelites, only seeing the problem not the plan of God. The moments in life that hurt us or take a loved one away from us, are moments where we need to grow in our faith, trust God is in control and move forward. Many see these as a judgemental God taking things away from us. No hero in history ever was able to become the hero they were called to be without adversity. They have to choose to push through the pain and overcome it to become who they were destined to be. We are the same as believers when the hard times come who we overcome and trust God in those moments will define who were are, as we go forward.
Those who reject this and become bitter and hardened take it out on the very one who is offering to help them. Instead of embracing the help they push them away and for lack of a better term become enemies to the one who wants to bring them through it into a better life. This opposition does not need to be permeant. This is what makes God so much defend than any other god that the world has to offer. Other gods might forgive you, if you do all the right things and make all the right sacrifices, he may look at you in favour and forgive you, but you might never know if it was acceptable. The God we serve, the Alpha and Omega, is waiting like a Father to embrace you once again. All we need to do is ask for forgiveness, no need to do anything else. He accepts us as we are, where we are, whatever may be and welcomes us back. Together after restoration, He will work with you to bring you out of the life you were living into a life more abundantly. Come back to God, He loves you. He wants to have a restored relationship.
Father, many of your children have walked away. I pray that even today they will come back to you. It does not have to be a traumatic event to bring them back, but a revelation that you love them. Whatever the situation they are going through use your people to remind them that you love them. I ask that you will use us to reach the world around us, boldness to share our faith. Help us to continually trust in you, especially when things get tough and it doesn’t seem like you are there. Remind us that you are and that you have a plan, give us the strength to endure the storm knowing that what’s on the other side will be worth the rocky moments. We will trust your plan. Amen
50 Days of Pray 