“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;” (Joel 2:12, ESV)
This summer our family has booked a cabin in the mountains of upstate New York. It is in a secluded area with hiking trails and a lake. We are looking forward to an escape from suburbia and days of fishing, kayaking, hiking, and more.
But my kids were horrified to learn that there will be neither cell phone nor internet service when we arrive at the cabin. This was a decision my wife and I made to disconnect from the outside world so that we can spend the time to connect with one another.
In an ever-connected world, the idea of disconnecting is inconceivable to many. How many of us grow frustrated when we lose our cell signal or when the internet goes down?
What if we viewed our connection with God in the same way we viewed our connection with the digital world? What if we were as horrified to be disconnected from God as we are to miss out on all the feel-good “Likes” from our latest and most brilliant Facebook post?
The good news is that we always have access to a connection with God. Our connection with him never goes down like our cell service or internet. Jesus never leaves us. He is always there. His promise is to be with us forever. He is described as the rock and the fortress that does not move.
When we are disconnected from God it is not that God has unplugged and disconnected from us. He is where he has always been. We are the ones who unplug and disconnect from him. But the good news is that we can always reconnect with him and the abundant life he desires for us.
In what ways have you disconnected from God?
- from prayer and devotion?
- from worship and service?
- from community with other believers?
- from seeking his grace and guidance for daily living?
- from accountability and discipleship?
There is a standing invitation to return (reconnect) to him. Even now! Especially now!
A final note: often the reason that we are disconnected from God is because of the other things to which we are connected. The irony is that the more connected we become to the digital world, the more disconnected we become from the real world and our real God. What are the things that you might need to disconnect from so that you can reconnect with him?
As you think about letting go of some things to reconnect with God, consider The 40 Things to Give up for Lent list as a good place to start.
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