Finding Your Way Back To God

Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Psalm 119:176 (NLT) “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.”

Man I feel lost and confused right now!!! Have you ever felt like that? If you said yes, your right! If you said no, you are wrong. We have all been lost and we have all felt lost!

When I first gave my life to the Lord, I moved in and out of that feeling. I felt so far from God and so unsure how to get to where I would now call “the perfect will of God for my life.” I only knew then that I just wasn’t where I needed to be. Back then, I didn’t know the terminology for it, but I felt “astray.” My life wasn’t where I knew it needed to be.

Every human being has gone astray. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” Every person, regardless of whether they will admit, it has gone astray. They have experienced the feeling at some point in their life of “being astray” from God. The first step to removing yourself from the feeling of “being astray” is accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Not everyone knows that they need Jesus but they do know the feeling of “being astray.” It’s a feeling that no one likes. That’s why people try to rid themselves of it. I’ve heard the expression that people try to “fill the void in their life” of not knowing the Lord. I believe it’s just as accurate to say that people are trying to get rid of the yuck feeling of “being astray.”

People go on journeys of experimentation to remove that feeling. Some try to cover it with alcohol, some with drugs. Some with a change of personal identity – piercings or strange hair cuts, or tattoos or hair colors. Some try by changing their surroundings or job, some with sexual relationships they call love but really just add up to lust. Some people try to cover it up with money, or titles, or power. All of these things can cover it on a temporary basis but the feeling of “being astray” always comes back. This feeling can only be dealt with by one aligning their life and purpose with the path of life that God has destined for that person to begin with. Then the feeling goes away.

I said that I still had that feeling after I accepted Jesus and it’s true, I did. I knew I was finally getting on the right track but also knew the Holy Spirit was leading me to make serious and necessary changes in my life. I yearned to discover my life’s purpose. Over the years, my personal transformation happened with God’s help. It’s in trusting the enabling power of the Holy Spirit within us coupled with the instruction of God’s Word, that helps transformation to happen. It’s much like when Abraham had to leave his home and follow God’s leading to a new home and purpose. Because Abraham trusted God and followed after Him, he eventually found that new home and purpose.

I continually have to stay close to God to make sure that I am not going astray. After all, I am a sheep and sheep do wander. You know the funny thing is, I can tell when I am starting to wander. I again start to get that feeling of “being astray,” or you could say, getting off track. When that happens, it usually happens to something I am somewhat blinded by. When I am getting lost it’s much like when anyone gets lost. I only know I’m not in the right place, I’m not sure how I got there, and I don’t quite know how to get back. What do I do? I’ll give you the answer tomorrow. This is getting too long. But know this much. It starts out by simply crying out to God, “help me Father, I feel like I am astray from where you want me to be.” Then by faith know that He desires to help lead you into His perfect will. I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow!

Be blessed in knowing this simple but profound truth, if you get off track somewhere, you can be absolutely confident He will get you on track if you will cry out to Him from a sincere heart.

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/