Thought for Thursday, January 19th

January 19, 2012

A Good Return Policy

Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up..

Hosea 6:1

Quote of the Day

“The need for devotion to something outside ourselves is even more profound than the need for companionship: No man can live for himself alone.”

-          Ross Parmenter

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

Regardless of our circumstance or situation:  our best alternative and the most complete and satisfying solutions to all our questions will come from returning to our first love, the author and finisher of our faith, our only true hope and our source for all that we will need.

To return implies going back to and when we have challenges or face struggles in our lives our first response should be to return to the source of all our hope and in whom our faith is.  Some might say this could just as easily be worded (turn to) as to return might imply that there was a removal from or a departure: and this may not always be the case.

Yet there are many times when we do find ourselves outside of God’s perfect will and we walk rather in His permissive will, so to return to the perfection of His desires for us would be appropriate.

Remember David prayed to God asking for a return to the joy of his salvation.

We need to always turn to Him, but if life has brought us a bit away from the fullness and closeness in the relationship we should want and He desires for us: then we should humble ourselves, return to His arms and allow Him to perfect in us His righteousness and holiness.

Being a human of many imperfections: I find it is often necessary to return to the fundamentals of my faith and to return to a place of peace and rest to commune with Him regularly.  And in truth probably you find this same thing to be true too.  So may we all be ready, willing and expedient to return to Him any time we sense we are not as close as we aught to be.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are holy, beautiful beyond description, far above the greatest thought or ideas I can image and I want to worship and adore you and praise you for who you are.  Thank you for your blessings on me and help me to remember You never move from where you are so when I am not as close to you as I need to be; all I need to do is return to you.

“Guidance means I can count on God.

Commitment means God can count on me.”

-          Anonymous

“Let my Lifesong sing to You”

- from ‘Lifesong’ by Casting Crowns