WHEN GOD LEAVES!
YouÂ’re having a conversation with someone else but youÂ’re not in the same room. You canÂ’t see each other you are still communicating. You ask a question but get no answer. Then you realize that in between the exchanges the other person would have LEFT the room only for a brief moment. YouÂ’re watching TV with a family member and commenting on the show. After a while you notice that youÂ’re the only one speaking. You look over only to see that the other person is fast asleep. YouÂ’ve been LEFT by yourself as he goes off into dreamland. ItÂ’s one thing for people to check out and LEAVE, but our FF for today is a troubling question. What do we do WHEN GOD LEAVES?
Does GOD ever LEAVE? If GOD is always and everywhere present, is it ever possible for GOD to take a LEAVE? Is it true to say that GOD abandons us? Does GOD disappear off the scene or departs from us? Yes…but! WHEN GOD LEAVES it is not permanent. WHEN GOD LEAVES it is to teach us some important lessons. Which is worse? GOD LEAVING or GOD LEAVING and we’re not even mindful that GOD has LEFT? That was the situation that Samson found himself in after revealing to Delilah the secret of the source of his supernatural strength and the tangible evidence of GOD’S presence with him. After his hair was cut, “He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had LEFT him. (Judges 16:20) Samson discovered that day that GOD’S LEAVING will eventually be as noticeable and recognizable as when GOD was very much present.
In 1 Samuel 4, God’s people had been defeated by the Philistines and afterwards, “When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” And even though they thought that bringing the ark into battle was the solution, here’s what happened on that day: “So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” Although there was the physical representation of GOD’s presence, Israel sadly realized on that day what happens WHEN GOD LEAVES.
We know what happens WHEN GOD LEAVES. But why would the GOD who always desires to commune and fellowship with his creation want to LEAVE in the first place? Go back to Eden – sin! A holy GOD and sin is like oil and water. They can’t mix! That’s why as believers we should always be thankful for Jesus! It is faith in Christ’s death which covers our sins and makes us right before GOD. Sin separates us from GOD! It is sin that causes us to LEAVE GOD. And so it is not so much GOD LEAVES us but that we’ve LEFT GOD. Either way, our lives become exposed to the enemy. And so let’s pray using the words of Charles Wesley rightly captured our plight in the lines from one of his hymns:
Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
LEAVE, ah! LEAVE me not alone, still support and comfort me.
May we never provide GOD a reason for GOD to take LEAVE. But even if it should happen, GODÂ’S LEAVE is not permanent. SamsonÂ’s hair grew back and the ark was returned to Israel. So letÂ’s confess our sins and repent. There is very little to celebrate about WHEN GOD LEAVES. On the other hand, all heaven rejoices WHEN we return to the GOD from whom we have been separated.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/serendipity/index.php?/categories/1-Friday-Focus
In 1 Samuel 4, God’s people had been defeated by the Philistines and afterwards, “When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” And even though they thought that bringing the ark into battle was the solution, here’s what happened on that day: “So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” Although there was the physical representation of GOD’s presence, Israel sadly realized on that day what happens WHEN GOD LEAVES.
We know what happens WHEN GOD LEAVES. But why would the GOD who always desires to commune and fellowship with his creation want to LEAVE in the first place? Go back to Eden – sin! A holy GOD and sin is like oil and water. They can’t mix! That’s why as believers we should always be thankful for Jesus! It is faith in Christ’s death which covers our sins and makes us right before GOD. Sin separates us from GOD! It is sin that causes us to LEAVE GOD. And so it is not so much GOD LEAVES us but that we’ve LEFT GOD. Either way, our lives become exposed to the enemy. And so let’s pray using the words of Charles Wesley rightly captured our plight in the lines from one of his hymns:
Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
LEAVE, ah! LEAVE me not alone, still support and comfort me.
May we never provide GOD a reason for GOD to take LEAVE. But even if it should happen, GODÂ’S LEAVE is not permanent. SamsonÂ’s hair grew back and the ark was returned to Israel. So letÂ’s confess our sins and repent. There is very little to celebrate about WHEN GOD LEAVES. On the other hand, all heaven rejoices WHEN we return to the GOD from whom we have been separated.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/serendipity/index.php?/categories/1-Friday-Focus
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