November #jammed: Gracious.

Day 308: The dot-dot-dot …

“They have abandoned me—
    the fountain of living water.” Jeremiah 2:13

The ellipsis is my favorite mark of punctuation. It leaves room for God to work in the gaps between my words and a reader’s eyes. And like that. I like the thought of giving Him the last word …or words. Because He will use each piece to hit many hearts on different notes.

ellipsis- 1.the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood. 2. a sudden leap from one topic to another. 3. a mark indicating a pause.

This verse in Jeremiah today leaves no space for translation. It’s what God’s people did back then, and what we continue to do today. We stray from Him. Run from Him. Turn from Him. Choose not to listen to Him or ask Him for direction in our lives. We forget to thank Him, or hold onto the credit, ourselves.

We don’t leave room for Him to work.

“God himself provides life-giving power to his people,” the NIV notes explain of this verse. So, why do we run from the light?

What began with Eve in the garden continues to curse our nature, today. We’re inclined to question, look around …and inside for answers and ability. But we’ll never find what we’re looking for in those places. Only through Jesus will we be able to live out the life we were purposed to accomplish on His behalf. It’s already in us, but we need the Light.

Your wickedness will bring its own punishment.
    Your turning from me will shame you.
You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is
    to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.
    I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken! Jeremiah 2:19

A stark warning from a loving God, not wanting to lose one of us. He’s not calling for perfect lives, just faith. He made a way for us to overcome the curse that tends to turn us towards the very real enemy that waits for us to fall. Just like Eve, we entertain his ideas …and neglect to focus on our blessings. Instead, always wanting more …

Jesus is the key to a full life. A heart given to Christ allows God room to work. The Creator of Light …and all life …deserves a well-planned pause. It costs nothing to believe, but we have everything to lose without the Cross.

Father,  Praise You for Jesus, and thank You for pauses. Whether in punctation or in life, help us to pause and allow You room to work. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace! 

#greatgrace17

Happy Pausing …

Megs

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