Devotion: Lamentations 3:40-42 “Let us examine our ways and turn back to the LORD . Let us open our hearts to God in heaven and pray, “We have sinned and rebelled, and you, O LORD , have not forgiven us.” Why is it that we wonder about what went wrong in the world? Isn’t the answer obvious? Or do people choose to ignore the truth? Friends, the fact is, we have turned our backs on God. There it is, the hard truth. We look at the world and the terrible things people do to each other and think: “Oh, this is bad, but it is not my business nor my fault.” In many ways we have become numb, so instead of trying to change things, we just go on as if nothing ever happened. The devil is loose on earth and he is having the time of his life. He wallows in the hatred, the death and destruction while we sit idly by. We have forgotten that our God is more powerful than this dark angel. We have chosen to accept whatever he is up to. We have betrayed our own faith. The time has come for us to rise up and claim the world for God again. We should turn from our sinful ways. Satan has deceived us all. He said that one more party wouldn’t matter, one more lie means nothing, hating someone is okay, gossip all you want, it’s what we do, boast about your status and wealth to make sure others respect you. He also said: “Yes, go to church, it will prove your worth AND you will feel less guilty. Then you can do your week with selfishness, pride, lies, hatred and deceit.” Is this true of you? Perhaps you think that if you say you’re a Christian, you are safe. Wrong. You need to live a LIFE IN CHRIST. You must walk with Him every single day. It is so simple. You just need to confess your sins and you will be forgiven. That is the wonder of the cross. You are never SO lost that God will abandon you. He is waiting for all of us to return to Him. If every person in the world should accept Jesus as his or her Saviour, the world will be a beautiful place. “From the bottom of the pit, O LORD , I cried out to you, And when I begged you to listen to my cry, you heard. You answered me and told me not to be afraid. “You came to my rescue, Lord, and saved my life.” Lamentations 3:55‭-‬58 GNB You may think saving the entire world is impossible, but I believe it can be done. God doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to be redeemed. You may say that you are just one person, how can that make a difference? Jesus was also just one person and look at the impact He had on the world. Sometimes it takes just one to raise his hand in defiance to start an uprising. Raise YOUR hand today and start a rising of Spirit of faith, of glory to God and others will follow your example. Once you’ve returned to God, once you’ve started a new life in Christ, listening to Him through His Word and talking to Him in prayer, you will be compelled to reproduce discipleship by sharing the gospel. That is our mission after all. “Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 GNB Ask yourself: Am I walking with God, spreading His gospel and planting the seed of redemption to those around me? Or is my back still turned on Him and are my words and deeds like empty shells? Pretty on the outside, but without substance and meaning. If you need prayer or just someone to talk to, feel free to send DM or email to crossroadsministries.sharon[gmail].com #devotion #Lamentations3 #discipleship #faith