Heart Tracks - Texting Jesus

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15

I don't text. I know that puts me in the minority today, and I don't have a problem with those that do. It's just that to me, it seems a very abbreviated way to communicate. It appears that shortened words and sentences are the norm. I guess it's a deeper illustration of our culture than maybe we care to admit. Face to face intimate conversation seems to be decreasing by the day. Our involvement with one another is steadily diminishing. We spend more time with out technology than we do each other. We don't really talk to one another, we text, and with the smallest amount of words we can. It's carried over into how we relate to Him....if we really relate at all. We limit our conversations with Him to spiritual text messages. We don't say a lot, or reveal a lot, but we figure, just as we do with our earthly communications, He gets the gist of what we mean.

Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, we see and hear the hearts of both the Father and Son cry out to the ones they love with a yearning we will never fully understand. A yearning to not only lay hold of us, to bring healing, but to communicate with us, be known by us. The Father sends us long letters of love, His best and greatest being in His Son, Jesus Christ. We rarely take the time to "read" them, let alone "answer" them. With the pouring out of His words comes also the pouring out of His heart. In return, we send him a text message....an abbreviated, often empty one. This is not true in matters of prayer only, but in our worship as well. There are churches, and not a few, who have their "worship" planned down to the second. Everyone knows just how many minutes they will have.....even God....if He has any at all. Unspoken is the desire that in the planning of the service, He would not be so rude as to interrupt the proceedings and throw the schedule off. We talk about creating something that is relevant to people....and are oblivious to what is relevant to Him.

I love the story of the woman with the issue of blood in the gospel of Luke. In that large crowd that surrounded Jesus that day were many who touched Him, but only one, the woman, touched Him in faith. When He asked who touched Him, He already knew, and the woman poured out her heart to Him in reply. She told Him all, and received all of Him that she could in return. She told Him the whole truth and was made whole herself. The Greek word for salvation means "to save and to heal." This is what He longs to do with us in every encounter. I don't mean that we need to be "saved" every day, but I do know that it's His will and desire to take us ever deeper in the conversion process, transforming more and more of lives, healing more and more of our souls. We read His letters of love...and we write our own to Him as well. Text messages simply will not do. Will they continue to do for you? He will write His letter of love upon your heart. Does it remain unopened? Unanswered?

Blessings,
Pastor O