Last week, my friend Stephanie and I were discussing our word for the coming year. She heard one for her for the year, but I hadn’t had anything hit me or hear anything in my spirit yet. She said, pray about it and see what the Lord says, so I did. Two seasons ago it was intentionality and then unoffendable. So as I was driving yesterday, I was scanning through channels as my iPod was cold (the battery dies when I leave it in the truck in the winter) and this song came across the radio. It was a sappy pop love song by the One Direction dude, but the end of the chorus hit me right to the heart. It ended with this line, “Over and over, the only truth, is that everything comes back to you.” And honestly, I never expected to hear anything from God during a boy band song, but I heard the word RETURN clear as day, and then immediately after, I thought of the verse in Joel 2 — “Return to me with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t just tear your garments, tear your hearts open as well. Return to the Lord, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and of great kindness.” So that line, to me, was that the truth is that despite everything I do, despite anywhere I go, it all comes back to Him. Every time.
There was been a stirring inside of my heart in recent weeks to really step it up regarding my personal study and in my relationship with Christ. It is so easy to get lost in the busyness of doing the work of the church and doing good works of service for others yet miss the vital daily connection with the heart of Christ. Allen Hood talked about it last night at onething when he was discussing the church of Ephesus having “lost their first love” — their love for the heart of Christ. You don’t even realize it sometimes… you just wake up and realize you haven’t had devotions for a few days… or weeks… and your prayer time is throwing up some thank you and asking for help here and there, but it is not focused or of any depth. I don’t want that kind of relationship with God. Like Allen said, when his wife walks into the room, his heart is thrilled because he is so much in love with her. He reference when he was young and newly saved how he was overflowing with joy and love and excitement. We were never meant to lose that. I want my relationship with Christ to be deep and exciting and connected. To be in tune with the Holy Spirit to the point where I am constant led because I can hear the inner promptings in my spirit and am acting in obedience and submission to that. It is a RETURN to the childlike wonder, to the joy, to the way it was when it was new. I remember reading The Shack and seeing the way that William Young portrayed Jesus with so much wonder and laughter… sometimes I forget that side of Him. It’s a RETURN to study and meditation of the word. To be like those of noble character in Acts 11 — “They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Like Psalm 139 says… no matter where I go, You are there. I have a vivid memory of Dr. Bob Jones Jr. reading Psalm 139 in a dramatic way, and have never forgotten the inflections and his southern drawl he read the whole Psalm but this part always stays with me: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.” It all comes back to Him. He is always with me. He never leaves. So I RETURN to a more focused place where He is central to me, where His heart is the focus to which I sync my life. Over and over… the only truth, everything comes back to You.