SCRIPTURE: 2 Chr. 29-31; Jas. 4
2 Chronicles 30:7-9
The invitation read: “O Israelites! Come back to God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he can return to you who have survived the predations of the kings of Assyria. Don’t repeat the sins of your ancestors who turned their backs on God, the God of their ancestors who then brought them to ruin—you can see the ruins all around you. Don’t be pigheaded as your ancestors were. Clasp God‘s outstretched hand. Come to his Temple of holy worship, consecrated for all time. Serve God, your God. You’ll no longer be in danger of his hot anger. If you come back to God, your captive relatives and children will be treated compassionately and allowed to come home. Your God is gracious and kind and won’t snub you—come back and he’ll welcome you with open arms.“
OBSERVATIONS: I’ve never lived as a slave. But I’ve known captivity. Most of those times in my life had to do with being held captive to empty religious behavior and false reality and pretending to follow God while actually following ancestral patterns of hollow relationships.
This passage renews the promise that we can all come back to God. Today, you and I can return to the warm relationship with Christ that allows His fresh love for us to renew our minds and spirits.
Notice that we are ‘coming back to God’ and not the other way around. God never left.
APPLICATION: I’m crawling back in my Abba/Daddy/God’s lap. I’m going to sit and share with Him the desires of my heart and let Him tell me which ones are idiotic. More importantly, I’m going to listen carefully to His voice to discover the desires of His heart.
PRAYER: God, I’d like to spend some time with you. Thanks for being there every time I come back. Sorry for all the times I’ve wandered off. My heart is overjoyed at the thought that you never gave up on me. I speak these words in the Name of Christ, and for the sake of His love for me. Amen.
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