Monday Reflection \u2013 January 31, 2022
Returning to God<\/p>\n\n\n
Return, O faithless children, I will heal your faithlessness. \u201cHere we come to you; for you are the Lord\u00a0our God.\u201d Jeremiah 3:22<\/p>\n\n\n
Have you ever left a conversation and thanked God for just how beautiful and impactful it was? Perhaps, a better question to ask is, how many conversations have we had and either or both persons benefitted positively from it? Amazing, the Almighty God, our Abba Father, is always inviting us to talk with Him. The Bible is replete of instances of persons who dialogued with God, God\u2019s dialogue with people, as well as God\u2019s invitation to reason with humanity (cf. Isaiah 1:18). Jeremiah 3 features a dialogue between God and his people, where He offers gracious terms of pardon to them, and they should make sincere professions of obedience to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n
In today\u2019s Watchword, God invites His people to return to Him. God\u2019s invitation is for the people to return to Him, to His worship and service, to their duty. God says this upon hearing the weeping and supplications of the Israelites, acknowledging their sin, and humbling themselves before Him. God\u2019s invitation is accompanied with His promise – I will heal your faithlessness. In other words, God says, I will take away your guilt and save you from your rebellious and revolting disposition. God heals our backslidings and faithlessness by His pardoning mercy, His abiding peace, and His renewing grace.\u00a0Such a promise is met with a resounding positive response, \u201cHere we come to you; for you are the Lord\u00a0our God.\u201d For the people – We readily and cheerfully obey your command, and comply with your invitation. This is an immediate, speedy answer, without delay; not we\u00a0will come\u00a0later, but we\u00a0do come\u00a0now; we need not take time to consider it.\u00a0This is grounded in the reality that the people remember who is their Master and Lord, Yahweh.<\/p>\n\n\n
David Guzik reminds us of the features of backsliding or faithlessness. Backsliding brings desolation; backsliding is worthy of great mourning; backsliders may return right from their wayward place; backsliding is shown in a\u00a0perverted way; backsliding is shown in forgetting God; backsliding is something only\u00a0children\u00a0of God can do; backsliding is a decision to turn from; backsliding is a disease to be healed from; backsliding is corrected by the recognition of a wrong way; backsliding is corrected by the recognition of having forgotten God.<\/p>\n\n\n
Yet, we must settle why we should return to God, having been faithless. Because:<\/p>\n\n\n
Today\u2019s text challenges us to practice regular introspection, as well as analysis of our relationship with God. And when we miss the mark, we should quickly repent and seek God\u2019s forgiveness and restoration. The Apostle Peter, in a beautiful commendation of the believers, says in 1 Peter 2:25: \u201cFor you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.\u201d Let\u2019s follow suit. \u00a0
Jermaine Gibson\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday Reflection \u2013 January 31, 2022 Returning to God Return, O faithless children, I will heal your faithlessness. \u201cHere we come to you; for you are the Lord\u00a0our God.\u201d Jeremiah 3:22 Have you ever left a conversation and thanked\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"template":"","watchword_topic":[9],"class_list":["post-757","watchword","type-watchword","status-publish","hentry","watchword_topic-faith"],"yoast_head":"\n