6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. ~ Isaiah 53:6
There are times when we stray away. Life is so full of distractions and busy is our middle name. How often do we look up from our busy lives and find that we're not where we thought we were and certainly not about the Father's business. Like sheep who get so caught up in the next juicy bite of green grass that they walk right into danger, we look up and find we are far from where we planned (and want) to be.
There are times when we walk away. It's not that we absent-mindedly wander off track, we know exactly what we're doing. We're doing what we want to do, all the while knowing it's contrary to God's will. We take control of our lives and assert out independence.
There are times when we fade away. We get tired. We get frustrated. Life can be tough. We can handle life one day at a time, but it seems like life often throws two or three days at us at a time. We get overwhelmed and it's so easy to just sit down. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to get up again. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Often it seems like we can't find the strength to get up and get started again.
All these 'times' are common to us all. We all find ourselves in one of them at points in our lives. It helps me to stay out of these 'times' by remembering this: when we disobey God's will and command, it is treason. We can call it by nicer names, but a rose by any other name..... Well, you know the rest. It is what it is no matter what you choose to call it. God is our Sovereign, our Head, our King, our Lord. It is our responsibility to be obedient. As our creator, the author of our lives, he has the right to command us, to obligate us. We have the responsibility to obey. When we choose what we want over what he commands, it is treason against our Sovereign. It is no little thing. We make it sound insignificant by saying we strayed from the path or missed the mark or maybe got out of line. But when a subordinate disobeys a Sovereign, it is treason!
We should all be thankful that God is merciful and forgiving. He allows us time to see what we have done and to repent of it. He doesn't owe that time to us, it is his grace. He doesn't have to accept our repentance, that also is his grace. We need to be better overcomers and we wouldn't have to be such good repenters! We need to be vigilant and obedient and remember that treason is a capital offense. It is an offense that shows arrogance and ingratitude to a Sovereign God.
