Our Bible verse for today: “See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her – but now murderers! ”Isaiah 1:21 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Don’t get lazy and indifferent.”
In the passage from Isaiah above, the prophet was describing how the nation of Israel had slowly, progressively, and over time, drifted far from God. Once they were God’s pride and joy. Once they had honored Him and He was pleased with them. But the holy city had become a place of spiritual emptiness and despair; the people were indifferent and lazy.
It didn’t happen over night and there were no sudden shifts in the thoughts or practices of the people. The change was gradual and subtle, it occurred in barely noticeable degrees. But over time the people as individuals, and the nation as a whole, drifted far from God.
The problem was that they got lazy and indifferent when it came to their spiritual lives. Once they had been diligent and faithful in the practice of their faith. But times were good, they were prosperous, there was a chicken in every pot and a camel in every driveway, and soon they forgot how much they needed God. They were living lives of comfort and pleasure, many of them were flirting with the fake gods from other cultures, and so they slowly drifted further and further away from the One True God.
A life that is well spent is a life that remains faithful to God in the good times and in the bad times. A person living a godly life knows to seek the guidance, protection, and help of God when they are faced with trials and struggles, but they also remain faithful to God when times are good and they are not struggling.
Pastor and author Eugene Peterson once coined the phrase “A long obedience in the same direction” to describe a Christian life lived well. It means that the person knows what they need to do to maintain a strong and vibrant and relationship with the Lord, and they discipline themselves to stay engaged in those practices – all the time.
Of course that includes things like daily prayer and Bible study, but it also includes regular and full participation in the life of your church. Drifting away from God almost always occurs slowly, progressively, subtly, in small degrees, over a long period of time. The person eventually becomes lazy and indifferent in the practice of their faith and soon they find themselves far away from God.
I encourage you to not let that happen in your life. Stay alert, stay focused, remain diligent and faithful. Don’t get lazy or indifferent.
Oak Hill Baptist Church