Relief or Real change?

Crisis is a powerful catalyst for change. People who have lived without a thought of God will start to pray when life turns sour. The cliché reminds us that ‘there are no atheists in foxholes.’ How it must grieve the heart of the Lord when those same people return to their old ways when the crisis passes, when normal returns. And, that is the case, not just some of the time, but most of the time!

33 men were stuck in a mine in Chile for 69 days! We celebrated their rescue last week. Undiscovered for 17 days, most of them concluded they were about to die and they turned their thoughts to God. Each of the miners tells of times of prayer, of deep devotion while they lived in that chamber deep in the earth. One miner, dubbed “Super Mario” by the media, received a trip to the beach from one of the major American news networks. There he ran into the surf, then fell to his knees where he exclaimed: "I adore you, God," he said. "And I promise I will never leave you, just like I promised you when I was buried alive." (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/chilean-miner-mario-sepulveda-dubbed-super-mario-speaks/story?id=11904199&page=2) I hope that Mario’s devotion is permanent and not an expression of his relief.

The richest experience of the Love of Christ is found in consistent devotion, in dedicated worship and service that we offer through the up’s and down’s of our lives. "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:35-36, NIV) Persevere means "to stick with it, to stand up when the pressure increases, to push forward against the current!" Will you?

Are you emerging from some crisis where your focus on the things of God was sharpened, where the temptations of life lost their luster and your appetite for the Lord was increased? Build on your newly deepened faith, don’t neglect or abandon it.

Here’s a word from the Word. Live it, for God’s glory.
"My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." (Psalm 101:6-7, NIV)