Have you ever been on a phone call that just dropped? What happened? Were you out of range from a tower, did your cheek accidentally hit “end call” or perhaps the other person just hung up? It is relatively easy to get disconnected while using a cell phone.
It seems like it is equally easy to get disconnected from our Father in Heaven. We were talking to Him, enjoying His blessings and living our life. Than all of a sudden, we were disconnected. Maybe we knew we were disconnected or perhaps we were unaware and just kept on going about our lives. There is a haunting verse about the Old Testament judge, Samson. “But he did not know the LORD had departed from him” Judges 16:20. Imagine, facing all that he faced and not being aware the LORD was no longer with him…he had been disconnected.Sunday morning we are going through the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. I am using the title and theme of “Disconnected from God”. Israel, like Samson, was once a strong and mighty nation. They were in a position to bless because they had been blessed. They were the stewards of the Torah, the Word of God. Then, perhaps little by little, they were disconnected from God. It was as if they did not know the LORD was no longer with them. Where did this disconnect show up? How can we avoid making the same mistake? First, they were disconnected from the love of God. They asked with contempt “How have you loved us?” Then they were disconnected from worship. They were bothered with going to worship and showed their contempt by offering sick, blind and lame sacrifices. They were disconnected from God’s Holy Word. When you put these three things together it is no wonder they felt disconnected from God’s life, peace, fellowship and the ability to influence others around them. They were disconnected from God’s blessing, from the covenant they had made and from their purpose. They hung up the phone. They turned away. Our Father in mercy and grace sent Malachi, His Messenger, to call them back to blessing and to warn them of the consequences of disconnecting from God.
The spiritual disciplines will help you connect with God, to reconnect with God or stay connected with God. Find time for daily Bible Study and prayer. Class 201 helped you learn how to hear, read, study, meditate, memorize, and apply His Word. Commit to praise that seeks to exalt the Name above all names. Seek to be a light to someone who is living in darkness. May your experience be the opposite of Samson’s: may you always know the Lord is with you!
See you Sunday, good Lord willing.
Pastor Tom
