14
Sep '19
Reading the Signs
14
Sep '19
When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and You, and I am no longer worthy of being called Your son. Please take me on as a hired servant”. Luke 15:17-19
Just when you think you have it figured out, life throws you a nasty curve ball. A person who I followed online committed suicide yesterday. It was ironic considering the day was ‘Suicide Prevention Day.’ A young life of only 30 years would never see their fullest potential. That made me incredibly sad. What made it much worse was this was a pastor. Now to be clear, no life matters more than another. But this had far reaching ripple effects across many lives. His wife. Family. The congregation he shepherded, and the thousands of others who followed him. The one person who you would think to be immune to such harmful behaviors had somehow succumbed to the very thing he would at times preach about.
Why? I began to question my own faith for I felt either a lack of response from or distance between God and me. This is not what I signed up for. I struggled continually to find an answer, but alas, I could not. I was suddenly in that very lonely place: lost. When I first gave my life to Christ as an adult, my pastor back then spoke about being lost. However, that was more about someone who had been wandering aimlessly like the Prodigal Son than a long-time believer like me. Then it occurred to me I was wrong. Being lost is not just about knowing where you are. Sometimes, it’s about recognizing you are not where you are supposed to be. As I thought more about it, perhaps the pastor was close to God, but somehow lost his way. He knew where he was, but did not see the signs directing him where he was going. As a result, he found a way that ended in his death not knowing the wrong path he had gone down.
Recognizing where you are is always important in finding God. My pastor this week talked about having a sense of direction. He mentioned about a sibling of his driving for miles without recognizing where they were. Sometimes, our journey of faith will take us somewhere, and we make the wrong turn. It’s important to have God as a compass. Sometimes, it is to give a guidance as to what path to take. However, there is more to it than that. Other times it is to simply read the signs to know if we are going the right way. The Prodigal Son had reached a point in his journey where he realized not only had he gone the wrong way but also was not where he belonged. You see the story is not always one dimensional. We see it most often as it never being too late to come back to God and how His grace alone is enough. In reading this, we can add to the meaning saying that if we know who our Father is, we too can find when we are indeed lost. We too can see where we do not belong, and can begin to make a way to where we do.
God is always there watching to lead the way if we are in tune with Him. Prior to the story, Jesus said, “there is joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:7b) Many of you are taking your walk of faith, and doing so with a clear sense of God’s direction. That is great. I write to you today not because I have lost God; I write because if you are like me, sometimes you know you’re not exactly where you should be. And that’s ok! Just acknowledge where you are and move down the path that will lead you closer to where God wants you. Do you know where you are with God today? What hints can give you a sense if you are on the righteous path? My prayer is that we are wary of our relationship with God, and make sure to read the signs. Amen.
~Kent
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About Kent:
“I am what all Christians are: flawed and always growing. I am not immune to failure, and I don’t always do the right things, but I learn from my mistakes, and always show love to all who I know. Furthermore, through Christ I have joy knowing I have His grace even though I didn’t deserve it and His love even as I can’t imagine it. I have written devotion for the past 14 years using my life’s experiences both before and after being born again and focusing on its relevance to Biblical teachings and today’s culture.”
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I have trouble following GPS (God’s Promised Street). Thank you for all you do to keep us Seasoned Christians on God’s GPS.
Your blog reminded me to get back on God’s route. I appreciate all your blogs, but this one hit home. God Bless!