By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
GEMS FOR MEDITATION AND PRAYER
THEME FOR THE WEEK: RETURNING TO GOD FOR DIVINE PARDON
SUNDAY
THEME: IT CAN BE RIGHTED
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 44:22
“I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
REFLECTIONS:
How easy is it to right the wrongs? Humanly, there is a significant deficiency in the ability to take this needful action unless we are prompted and convicted by the Holy Spirit. For the believer, you have this assurance in John 16:8, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” Jesus affirmed the coming of the Holy Spirit and the key responsibilities He will carry out on our behalf and for our ultimate salvation. He will convict us.
Beloved, returning to God is always for our good and in our best interest as human beings. We cannot miss the way if we make God our focus. We cannot walk with God unless we agree with Him. The Scripture poses a question in Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” This is why the prophet wrote: Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” This invitation is for the undeserved – the typical sinner, the one who has messed up in life, and the one found in the gutters of sin. An invitation that gives hope to the hopeless and pardons the sinner can only come from God, your maker and redeemer.
God’s heart yearns for your salvation, for He sees how Satan has caused you so much pain and devalued your worth. As long as you make Satan your master, you will never enjoy real life and peace. There can be a semblance of joy, but not the real – they are all a façade. Once God is absent from a person’s life, the glory and the value of a person are deflated to insignificance. Beware, there is no rest for the wicked. But is there hope for the repentant sinner? Yes, massive! Gargantuan!
Therefore, as the year ends, we implore you to retrace your steps and return to the God who created you, takes care of you, spares your life from danger, and loves you. There is never a suitable time such as we have now – the year is fast inching to a close. The mercies of God are being poured abroad. You can return to Jesus to make the necessary amends at no cost because He has paid the price. He became one like us as written in Hebrews 2:14-18 – “. . . that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, . . . For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Bring to Him the scarlet-like and crimson-type sins we see but cannot discuss. Jesus offers pardon to the sinner: come. (Reread Isaiah 44:22 and meditate on it.)
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 287 – “Softly and Tenderly”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for life; thank God that you have a few days to the end of the year; pray to confess and commit to abiding in Christ;
– Pray for people on your prayer list to surrender to Christ; pray for people you want Christ to save – add them to your list;
– Pray for refugees, distressed asylum seekers, strangers, victims of disaster and wars that God will defend them; pray for decision makers to help ease the sufferings the poor and needy endure;
– Pray for your loved ones to eschew evil and surrender to Christ – pray for their salvation; pray for healing for the sick and comfort for the mourning; pray for the peace of the country.
