Return

“I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore, say to the people, 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty."  Zechariah 1:2-3

Having watched my children play soccer for many years, it took them a long time to learn that sometimes they needed to return the ball to the back in order for it to go forward. It's counter-intuitive, but critical to changing the point of attack to exploit the weaknesses of an opponent.  

In our verses for the day, God let the people know they had some returning to do. Before they could move forward as a nation, they had to go back and return to the one they had left. They had to own their past mistakes, look hard into the mirror of reality and then come clean before God. 

Returning can be an extremely tough proposition. It typically involves apologies, restitution and a large helping of humble pie. Are there any places you need to return to? It may be that your next breakthrough is only a few steps backwards. Most importantly, is there any sense in which you need to return to God? Here's some good news for you ... regardless of how far you've wandered, you are only one decision away from being right back on track. That decision? Return. 

Grace and Peace,

Tom Wiles
Senior Minister

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