BBD 04.14.03 Sitting There
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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04.14.03
Sitting There
Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says
the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. -
Zechariah 1:3
I love the story about Larry Walters. I've read it in several forms but all
basically have the same elements. Larry always dreamed about flying but was
unable to do so because of his poor eyesight so he had become a truck
driver. It seems that Larry was semi-retired sitting in his backyard day
after day and he would see fighter jets crossing the skies over him. One
day Larry got tired of sitting around so he bought a tank of helium and
forty something weather balloons at the military surplus store. In his
backyard he attached the balloons to his lawn chair and inflated the
balloons with helium. He packed up some sandwiches and drinks and a pellet
gun.
Larry had planned just to float up a few hundred feet and then shoot out
some of the balloons and float back to earth but it didn't happen quite the
way he had planned. When Larry cut the anchoring line he shot up and kept
on climbing until he leveled off at about 16,000 feet! He was afraid then
of shooting any of the balloons because it appeared the load would become
unbalanced and really cause problems. He eventually drifted lower and into
the approach path for Los Angeles International Airport. A pilot contacted
the tower about a guy in a lawn chair floating along with a gun in his lap.
Toward the end of the day Larry began drifting out to sea and the Navy
dispatched a helicopter to rescue him. Back on the ground a reporter asked
Larry why he had done it. Larry said, "A man can't just sit around."
There are many of us who are just sitting around. We've wandered away from
God just as Isaiah says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned, every one, to his own way.(Isaiah 53:6)." Many of us have become
double-minded knowing what we should be doing and what God wants us to do
and be but instead we are busy doing and being other things.
In the midst of our sitting there we question the love of God which should
tell us that we have turned away from Him like the people during the time of
the prophet Malachi (Malachi 1:2; John 3:16). We despise the Name of God by
our lack of reverence (Malachi 1:6). We weary God with our lip service
(Malachi 2:17). We rob God by not giving Him the proper tithes and
offerings (3:8) and we speak against Him by walking in the way of man
instead of in the way of God (Malachi 3:13). As James puts it we have
become "double-minded."
There is a solution. We don't have to just sit there. Zechariah tells us
the answer we just need to return to God. James tells us the same thing
that if we will come near to God (return) then God will come near to us.
The prodigal son (Luke 15) is all about those of us who have wandered away.
When the prodigal finally decided to return home He found the Father waiting
and joyous at his return. Don't just sit there! Return to your God! Draw
near to Him!
Here is a prayer you might want to pray to begin your return: "Dear
Heavenly Father I ask your forgiveness for my double-mindedness and for how
I have offended you by my actions and inactions. I want to return to You.
I want to draw near to You. I'm so tired of just sitting here in a
spiritual quagmire please help me to be what You want me to be. In Jesus'
precious Name I ask. Amen." (If you do pray the prayer above let me know
so I can be praying for you.)
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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