“Have
mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me; You who
lift me up from the gates of death, that I may tell of all Your praise in the
gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.” Psalm 9:13-14
“From
those who hate me”, how often have we sought human solutions to human problems
rather than to go first to the Lord? It occurs to me that we are much
more apt to pursue political solutions to our problems long before we will give
real attention to serious prayer time. This may be why, in so many
circles, it is virtually impossible to discern the difference between the
Church and the “world”; we are perhaps too quick to make peace with those whose
lives conflict with the Lord’s order and statutes, those who often tempt us to
follow them rather than follow our Shepherd.
The
Church cannot be all things to all people anymore than Christians can be
something to everyone; we can only be who and what we are to the Lord.
Yet each day our choices reflect whom (or what) we truly follow. If we
take our discipleship for granted and simply assume “the Lord understands”, we
are kidding ourselves. No relationship can survive neglect for long.
Reconnect.
Repent. Confess. Pray. Fast. Study scripture.
Attend worship. Do whatever you must to reengage in the One Relationship
– the ONLY relationship – that gives us life and purpose for that life. Do
this, and the Church will survive. Do it not, and we will desperately
cling to every passing fad (and person!) that sounds good in the moment but
will not last, discovering that the very best the “world” can offer is only an
illusion.
Have
mercy on us, O Lord!
Michael
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