John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)

In my laissez-faire relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I sometimes find myself becoming passive, content with acknowledgment of — rather than a relationship with — the very Being Whom I profess to follow. Life proceeds along at a merry pace until, with a proverbial slap in the face, life events bring me up short. I find myself no longer before the throne but, perhaps, several hundred yards away, maybe watching television.

Like me, we know about our faith: where our help comes from, Who it is that blesses us, and where we will go when we die. We know that the truth and the kingdom of God continue for all who make a declaration of belief in Jesus as our Saviour and live by faith according to His tenets.

Sadly, as we live under the peace and the blessings that flow forth from His gift of liberation and forgiveness, we can unwittingly, or even knowingly, fall victim to the religious routine of our Christian calendar. Immanuel — God with us — can become an idea rather than the dialogue that it should be. We may let slide the two-way dialogue, and the relationship that goes with the asking, giving up our thoughts, with little time given to the reply or waiting to hear from heaven what may be His priority for the day.

Some of us are faced daily with the reality of the sorrow, sadness, pain, and hurt of those close to us or those we visit. For them, sometimes, the pain is just too much to carry alone. Bad things happen. In the midst of our tranquillity, out of nowhere, life finds us asking the question once more in earnest: Where are You, God? Why? What can I do? How can I get through this? It is in this space that we find that Jesus is waiting for us to receive His love, support, and comfort.

Lent is a time of reflection, a time to stop the separation and to re-engage with Him Who first loved us. May we, like the wise virgins, be found ready and expectant for the love that He offers every day.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
       – Isaac Watts, 1707

Prayer: Lord, we are truly sorry for not giving You the honour that You deserve, because we have fallen into a routine that does not seek Your reply. May we once more be attentive to Your Word, lay our lives before the throne, and seek to hear what You have to say to us today. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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