Distant From God?
Ephesians 1:11-14 (NRSV)
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
-- Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
Get Our Latest News for FREE
AT the age of 10, I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. The moment the Holy Spirit came into my heart was the most joyful of my life. I spent the rest of that summer reading my Bible and memorizing scripture. Sadly, my family didn't attend church, and eventually I stopped praying and studying my Bible. As I got older, I faced many trying times and often turned to the wrong things for comfort. During my early 20s, I lived a sinful life apart from Christ.
Years later I came back to Christ and began attending church, praying, and studying the Bible. When I look back on the years I was so distant from God, I realize that even though I left God, God never left me. Through all the dangerous situations I put myself in, nothing terrible ever happened to me. God was always watching over me. And quietly, patiently, God pursued me.
Once we have the Holy Spirit living in us, it never leaves us. We can resist the Spirit and live sinful lives that separate us from God. But once we confess our sin and turn back toward God, the Spirit works within us and helps us to grow in faith again.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for your promise never to leave us or forsake us. Thank you for your son, Jesus Christ, through whom we are saved, and for your Holy Spirit with whom you have sealed us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God's life within us will never die.
PRAYER FOCUS:
Those longing to return to God
