getting back on track

Sunday, June 3, 2018 (7:32 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Holy God,

I’ve been making a lot of mistakes. The biggest? Not taking time to be here with You. And in Your Word.

Forgive me Father. It never works out to put spending time with You at the end of the day. Or the list. Or not on the list at all.

I really kept thinking I’d find time. Silly me.

Thank You for showing me various examples of silliness in Your Word. Banter. Pretensions. Girls. Efforts. Knowledge. Empty-headed worship; god-schemes. Fools. Dreams. Five of the ten virgins. Superstitions. Charges. Talk. Stories. Criticisms.

And smack. Right there. On my head. Tears. Stunned. Sorry.

A four year old pointed it out quite simply the other night. “Are you still mad? You need to say, ‘Sorry’”.

Romans 14 The Danger of Criticism. Nonjudgmental Attitude; 14:1-13. Oh, that I would have come to You BEFORE taking my feelings of concern to a much loved one.

And You just keep piercing my soul!

Illustrated Bible Handbook. “…Paul insists we abandon judgmental attitudes and neither condemn or look down on our brothers or sisters whose convictions or practices differ from our own. Paul is terribly blunt here. Christ died and rose again so the He might be Lord (14:9). No one proclaimed you or me God. How then dare we to judge others (14:10-12)?” Ouch!

Holy God, the other day when I said, “I don’t know what to do with these feelings” I didn’t even consider bringing them to You. Forgive me.

Thank You that when I read earlier “THE BOTTOM LINE PURPOSE [for Malachi] To confront the people about getting back on track after they had relapsed into old patterns of sin” I did NOT know You were going to so directly be causing me to face mine.

Romans “14:10-12 Paul reminds us that we are not to take inventory for others. Many of us find it easier to point out the failures of others than to look critically and honestly at our own life. But it isn’t our primary responsibility to straighten out other people’s lives. We must remember that all of us will be personally accountable before God for our actions. If we spend time pointing a finger at others, we will never clean up our own act and progress in our own recovery.”

Oh, ouch again!

Malachi wrote of relapse and backsliding. External behaviors without internal changes. RECOVERY THEMES from this book remind us: “God Always Loves Us”, “Forgiveness Is Foundational for Recovery”, “God Is Always with Us”.

Most Holy God as I consider The Life Recovery Bible’s comment for “1:7-14 God did not want empty words of repentance; He wanted the people to back up their words with appropriate action.” Another stab pierces my demeanor.

Malachi, verse ten, “Why doesn’t one of you just shut the Temple doors and lock them? Then none of you can get in and play at religion with this silly, empty-headed worship. I am not pleased. The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is not pleased. And I don’t want any more of this so-called worship!”

Thank You for speaking with me Father. Reading in Malachi reminds me of the worship You truly want from us. Psalm 51:16-17, “Going through the motions doesn’t please You, a flawless performance is nothing to You. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice” (The Message).

Mm. Yes! All those stabs. Working to shatter my pride. That my heart-shattered life would indeed be ready for Your love.

Get me back on track Blessed God that I would truly live this day for You. Work Your forgiveness through me that I would seek not only to be forgiven, but to be willing to forgive as well.

Thank You for reminding me that loving You is the most important aspect of my being. Work in, with, by, through and for me that I would whole-heartedly, genuinely, mindfully come to loving You and others (Mark 12:30-31) as You have commanded us.

I forget. You forgive. I make mistakes. You lovingly correct and set me straight. Use me this day. Exactly asYou wish. Strong, in Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(741 words ~ 9:51 a.m.)