by Zach Roll

Leaving the old ways behind.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” Ezekiel 18:23 English Standard Version

We live in a day where it is almost impossible to get lost, because so many of our electronic devices have GPS capabilities. I still remember times on family vacations, when I was growing up, where my biggest fear was getting lost (especially in the mountains). I would hear my parents say things like “we missed our turn off,” or “we need to turn around, we are going the wrong way.”

To them they simply needed to reroute, and it wasn’t a big deal, but to an anxious five year old child it was the end of the world! 

Going through life, and remaining faithful in the midst of all that goes on around us, is a little more difficult than simple course correction. The culture we live in is an individualistic one, and if something does not cater to what you want then it is a waste of your time. More than that, the things we want are at our fingertips, and are more, and more, accessible everyday. We are told to follow our hearts’ desires, and to live for us.

I must say that this is a pretty intriguing offer to human ears, and the message is not unique to the United States. It is everywhere! Once you start going down that path it can be a pretty rough road, a road that has dear consequences when the end is reached.

The good news? God takes no pleasure in death. He does not leave us, nor encourage us to go down a path that leads to destruction. God wants life for all of us, and he wants to be in communion with all of us.

Unfortunately, some will decide that they do not want to be in communion with God. They would rather follow their own path. We have all gone astray (Isaiah 53:6), but if we would turn from our own ways, and return to God, he will be there eager to welcome you back to him.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO