What does it take for the Lord to get your attention? I’ve been asking myself that question as of late! It comes to me over and over. I’ve realized and confess my attention on the Lord has been distracted. Distraction subtly enters the mind and the heart. Oh, please don’t misunderstand, I’ve gone through the motions of prayer, bible reading , study and teaching but distraction has settled in, so quietly and cautiously that I didn’t recognize it for what it truly was. That is, until the Lord finally caught my attention through loss.
I sit here and tell you; it hurts ever so much. “The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disasters on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does, yet we have not obeyed him.” Daniel 9:14
Daniel spoke about how God continually, seriously, continually tried to bring Israel back to himself. And, even after disaster struck them, they still failed to obey him. They refused to do it!
How crass is that? Is God unfair? Is God unfaithful? Is God unjust? Absolutely not! Understand and don’t forget that God still uses circumstances, other people, and, most important His Word to bring His people back to Him!
Daniels’s prayer in Chapter 9 of Daniel confesses “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong.” He confesses the wrong, the lack of trust, the lack of faith, the lack of obedience of Israel against God who is righteous, merciful and forgiving!
What happened to them? Why did they get to this point? It’s pretty simple because it happens to us. We get distracted, we get careless, we get settled, we get into a rut, and eventually rebel, disobey, and become apathetic.
In his prayer, Daniel cries out to the Lord! And, when I read his cry in verse 17, it became mine! “O my God…we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies.”
God sent me mercy and trust me, although my heart aches, it is soothed by His tenderness and compassion; new every day. I am so blessed, and cannot thank Him enough. Oh, my friend, have you prayed pouring out yourself from within the depths of your soul? Trust me, it is cleansing, it is relief and it is peace!
God has my attention and He’s “got my back!”
ritasalomon 