If Not Now, When?

I was teaching from the book of Hosea when I made a personal confession to the girls in my Sunday School class and illustrated it with an example from my own prayer life. I share it because you may get a chuckle out of it like they did, and heaven knows we need some comic relief. Amen? Besides, it comes with a great lesson.

Here we go. Sometimes I find myself praying without saying anything. Indeed, I can take words and phrases I’ve heard from other folks’ prayers and string ‘em together in a nice sounding prayer while being totally unengaged in the result. Worse still, sometimes I catch myself saying ridiculous things while I’m praying that suggests my mouth may still be in drive, but my brain has gone into park or wandered onto a side road. Just last week I was enjoying a truly delightful prayer time when my brain AWOL and I heard myself say, “Oh, Lord God, I am your refuge.”

Really, Shellie? Do you suppose the Lord laughed out loud with that great cloud of witnesses in heaven? Perhaps Gabriel turned to Him and said, “And what do you need to hide from, exactly?”

It was embarrassing but at least I’ve learned not to accept the enemy’s condemnation about it anymore. I don’t give up now, I just steer myself back on the road. That’s progress right there.

While you’re getting a laugh at my expense, I’ll move on to the lesson I mentioned. In Hosea 14:2 we hear God tell His people to, “Take words and return to me.”  In the original Hebrew language, that verse can be read, “Take realities with you and return to me.”

Now, isn’t that interesting? A reality is defined as “something that is rather than something as you want it to be or imagine it to be.”

I believe God wants us to lose our church language and wool-gathering and get real with Him. As I look around at the state of our world, I make a fresh commitment to do just that and I hope you’ll me. I mean, if not now, when?

Hugs,
Shellie