This morning I was thinking about some people who I have missed at church for several weeks now. They were coming for a little while and then stopped. We all know people like this. They seem to be "in and out" of church-- or more correctly, "in and out" of a relationship with God. They are always up and down, wishy-washy, one foot in and one foot out, never committing themselves totally to Him. Why is this?
I have a belief on this matter. I believe it is because they have not had a "real encounter" with the Living God. Once you have an encounter with Him, you will never be the same. There won't be any more of this "luke warmness" of heart and "floundering" back and forth. Jacob had an encounter with the Lord and it changed him so drastically that his name went from being Jacob the deceiver to Israel the prince, and from that point on he walked with a limp the rest of his life (an outward sign of an inward change). Saul had an encounter with the Living God, Jesus, on the road to Damascus and was never the same. Even his name was changed also, to Paul. The disciples on the Emmaus road had an encounter with Jesus and the whole time their hearts burned within them. There is a long list of people in the Bible who had an encounter with Jesus and were never the same again. When we have a true encounter with the Lord, it changes us. We become a "new creation".
What happens to most people is not an encounter. Listening to someone preach or share the gospel is not an encounter with the Lord. Praying some "bailout" prayer because you are in trouble is not an encounter. Repeating some heartless prayer to come to God is not an encounter. An encounter is an encounter. An encounter means to have an experience with someone or something. You cannot encounter/ experience the presence of Jesus and ever be the same again.
I am reminded of an old hymn whose words are-- "Touching Jesus is all that matters. Then your life will never be the same."
Have a great day. The reason many are not surrendered to the Lord and are always wishy-washy about Him is because they have not had an encounter with Him.
For further reading:
Genesis 32:24-26
Acts 9:1-20
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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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