SEPTEMBER FROM OUR PASTORS

Getting Back on Track With God

By the time you read this, you will have without a doubt dropped off your child at the bus stop four or five times already, picked him or her up from soccer, football, cheerleading, or band practice several times, and packed a few lunches. If you aren’t a parent of a child in school, maybe you help with some of the running around, or maybe you’ve noticed how traffic has gotten a little busier on your way to work. Maybe you’ve heard the sound of whistles or snare drums from your back yard. Whether you are in school or not, back-to-school affects all of us. We’re entering — indeed have entered — the season of busyness once again. 

Just as January marks the start of the new year, the end of August into September marks a change in the seasons of our life. It is the start of something new. We’re turning the page onto the next chapter, and as we turn that page and embark into the new, God grants us the opportunity to start on the right foot and get back on the right path. Perhaps you’ve wandered away a little bit. Well, today is the day you can get right with God again. Today is the day you can ask God to realign you with the purpose for which He has redeemed you — to serve Him and give Him glory. Today is the day in which you can ask God where the good way is so you may walk in it find rest for your soul.

We can do a few things to help us get back on track with God. First is giving thanks. When we give God thanks, we remind our souls that God is the giver and that everything we have is thanks to the Him. As Jesus says, “apart from Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) One of the first acts of humankind recorded in the Bible is the giving of an offering (Genesis 4). In particular, Abel gave to God the fat portions of the firstborn of his flock. This was good meat from the very first animals to be born in his flock. Abel drew near in his heart to God to give Him thanks. As we turn that page to the start of the new season of life, we too can draw near to God as we give Him a piece of our time, our energy, and our resources as a thank you. In our offering, we move closer to our Father and we embrace Him with a hug and thank Him for all He has done for us. 

At the start of something new, there are usually tasks to be done, forms to be filled out, questions to be answered, and problems to be addressed. It can feel like we have no time to do anything but to get to work. To stop to do anything, especially to spend time with God, can seem crazy in the moment. But this is the model that God gives us. Before He embarked on His mission to preach the Gospel, Jesus turned to God in prayer (Mark 1:35-39). Likewise, at the start of his reign, King Solomon, did not forget God but turned to the Lord to make sacrifices to Him. It was as Solomon drew near to God by giving sacrifices that God drew near to Solomon. In a dream, God said to Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5). Surprisingly, Solomon did not ask for wealth or the defeat of his enemies, but he asked for wisdom to rule in the right way. He said to God, “But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties … So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:7,9). Solomon called himself a little child, but he was probably about 20 years old at this time. By calling himself a little child, he acknowledged how little he knew and how much he needed God to complete the tasks ahead of him. This sincere humility and desire for God’s help pleased the Lord, and God gave Solomon the wisdom he needed. Won’t God do the same for us if we ask Him? As we turn the page to the start of this new season, things can seem overwhelming, but if we turn it over to the Lord and ask for His help, He promises to be there for us. 

One last way we can get back on track with God this season is to remind ourselves of our purpose. There are a lot of things that may demand our attention as mentioned above and a lot of things to which we might want to give our attention. But in the midst of it all, God wants us to remember why we are here:  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). As believers born again into the family of God, the Lord has equipped us with gifts of the Holy Spirit to help, to serve, to teach, to give, to encourage, to lead, to show mercy, and more (Romans 12:6-7). Jesus has rescued us with His blood from an empty way of life so that we may live for Him and make His name known to all. Along with our prayer for wisdom each day should be the prayer, “Lord Jesus, how can I serve you today?” 

As we begin this fall, let us take time to thank God each day, to pray for His help and direction, and to pray for Him to renew in us our purpose as His servants. Let us get back on track with Jesus and His plan for our lives. To Him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen!

In His Service, 

Pastors Garritt and Sanette