First Church Family,
When February begins, we celebrate the half-way mark of winter. And we’ve felt its fury over the past weeks with snow, ice, and bitter cold. I enjoy every season, but I must say that I’m looking forward to seeing daffodils burst through the ground in the next weeks.
In worship during February, we will be talking about performing a “check-up” on our spiritual lives. So many people get caught up in what I termed the “spin cycle” in my last sermon, in that they/we have lost control of our schedules, commitments, and lives responding to the needs of our work, families, friends, and responsibilities. The result is that we live lives less faithful, fulfilling, and enjoyable.
In Isaiah, God reminds us that He wants to relieve us of our sense of discouragement and failure, and promises to take us back, so that through Him, we might be healed of our dissatisfaction and pain.
To His own people, who like so many in our world, had chosen other gods and wandered away from His protection, God actually said:
“I will not accuse them forever,
nor will I always be angry,
I was enraged by the sinful greed
of the people I have created.
I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
I will guide them and restore comfort to those who mourn,
creating praise on their lips.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the LORD. “And I will heal them.” (Isaiah 57)
What a wonderful God we have, a God who is ever ready to take us back no matter how far we have wandered from Him! Join us in worship as we continue to seek His face.
Blessings,
Pastor Dave