Ecclesiastes 7:29 “This
only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of
many schemes.”
When I was seventeen years old, I can remember
deliberately telling God that I was finished with Him. I gruffly told Him
thanks for all that He had done, but this was my life and He wasn’t welcome
in it any more. I wanted to go my own way, do my own thing, and not be
hampered by Bronze Age mythology or ancient morality.
God must have heard me because for the next 3-4
years I was on a path of self-destruction and joylessness. Like the writer
of Ecclesiastes once wrote, I tried everything under the sun and found it to
be meaningless. I got my fill of untold pleasures but my soul was empty. I
ate and drank and made merry practically every night; in the morning, I
hated the man in the mirror and just wanted to die, not because I was having
a hangover, but because I was wasting my life.
At one time, through various people in my past,
God had planted seeds of faith in my arrogant heart. Even as I was in search
of many schemes to satisfy my body, mind, heart and soul, God was already
making plans. And when He rescued me from my own rotting pit and nasty
drunken self, He placed me back on the path that He wanted me to walk. I had
dishonorably discarded God in the past, but He did not destroy my future.
When I was unfaithful to Him, He remained faithful to His purpose. When I
walked away, He kept an eye on me. And when I eventually turned back and
surrendered myself to Him, God allowed me to get off my knees and work for
His Son Jesus. I had searched many schemes, but Christ’s predestined scheme
for my life was not discarded by God.
Perhaps you also have walked away from God. Maybe
you have been hurt by the church or wounded by church people. It could be
that you don’t want to be burdened by God’s commands or Christ’s demands
upon your life. Or perhaps you just feel so far away, that you don’t how to
get back into God’s good graces or Christ’s embracing welcome.
Wait for Him to come to you. You don’t have to run
away any longer. God knows your weaknesses, your sin, and your secrets.
Through Christ, you can be totally forgiven, completely restored and truly
loved. Turn and wait. He will find you. He will rescue you. He will redeem
you. You are a child of God’s grace and a beloved friend of Christ.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we’ve all gone astray at times
and have done foolish things. We carry sinful regrets in our hearts and are
burdened with shameful secrets. You have the power to forgive all things and
You have the loving grace to grant that mercy to all of us. Thank You for
such a wonderful gift! Thank You for such amazing love. In Your Holy Name,
we cheerfully pray. Amen.
John Stuart
traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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