Let us reason together…

Isaiah 1:18-20 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Malachi 4:4-6 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

How many times when you were growing up did your dad tell you “I told you so?” For some reason, it always seemed that your parents had the ability to look beyond what you could see and point out the good and bad in your decisions. It almost never failed, our parents were almost all of the time right, and you hated that at the time. With a rebellious heart, a child wants to be right and know everything. Do you think we carry this same attitude into the way we live our Christian life?
Today, I met a young man who was raised in the church, attended youth groups, went to conferences and tried to live as a Christian through high school. He was now 21 years old and told me that he had really experience the grace of God and had been saved. However, he allowed a few things to creep in that began leading him astray from the right path. From a few sips of alcohol, a few puffs of marijuana and a few moves, he now finds himself in rehab trying to make things right with God and hopefully will be restored to his family. How can a child get in this predicament? Are parent’s loving their children like they should and holding them accountable for their actions or are many afraid to hurt their feelings and disregard correction. Recently, I heard the quote, “Who ever tells you the most truth is your greatest friend.” Could this brief lapse have been stopped if someone would have paid close attention and showed that they cared? I think so…

Another man that I would like to describe to you was about 50+. For the sake of this devotion, I will call him the professor. He is now carrying around a dictionary and using words that I have never heard of. With laughter and joy in his heart, he is being easily amused by the taste of food, the uniqueness of the English language and most importantly growing in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is a rare find. Simple joys fill his heart. He told me that it is amazing what God has provided His children. With excitement, he told me that he has just sobered up after being in bondage to drugs for 30 years. He said that the world never seemed brighter than it does today. He said he had a lot of catching up to do, since he wasted possibly two-thirds of his life. Though he paid the consequences for his actions, I wonder if the influences of a few people who cared could have made a difference.

With these two scenarios in mind, can you think of someone that you could reach out to and try to help? With divorce rates as they are, both parents working to keep up with the Jones’, and the influence of an irresponsible culture, it is vitally important to build strong homes and provide stability for your children and others to see. Just going to church, having a family Bible, and providing for the family’s needs is not enough, everyone needs to be connected, accountable and growing deeper in God’s love.

In our Christian life, it is so easy to go astray when not in connection with God in prayer, worship and in fellowship with His people. Jesus is the vitality of your life and the only Rock on which to stand. Knowing Him brings conviction, correction, courage and comfort through all of life. God loves his children so much that His watchful eye is always on us. He is always looking ahead because He knows your present and future. If you give Him your present today, you won’t have to wake up weeks, months or years later and hear, “I told you so!” Let us come together with God. Let us draw near with a heart full of assurance and seek His face today that we might know how to live by His word and help some lost or straying soul in need. When you are close to God, you begin to hate sin and love the sinner even more. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.