Lost in the Screen
I have a love/hate relationship with my phone. Thanks to technology I can be almost anywhere with my phone and work effectively. Some work is a little easier with my iPad or laptop, but in a pinch I can look at spreadsheets, read, and even do presentations from this little device that travels with me everywhere. I can stay connected to work, to family, to friends instantly and always. There is some goodness in all of this connectivity, but it also has a downside. My phone can keep me very distracted and sometimes keep me from the ability to clear my head. Our phones can also distract us from our need for solitude where we can and must commune with God.
One of the great features of our devices are the reminders that we use, so that in the busyness of life we don’t forget important meetings. Reminders also help us remember birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates that allow us to celebrate and express love to the people in our lives. Of course, to utilize the reminders you have to have the device with us, which leads us back to the love/hate relationship with our technology. It seems you can’t live well with the technology or without it.
We probably all would be better off if we lost some of our technology dependency. So maybe like me, you are trying to figure out ways to keep up while also not being addicted to your devices. If you are, then I want to give you a warning and a reminder that may prove helpful this year.
In Jeremiah 39, we read about the fall of Jerusalem. It came just as God had warned through his prophets. But even though Babylon would overtake the city and carry God’s chosen into exile, in verses 17-18 they received a promise of rescue:
“But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.”
God gave assurance that he would rescue his people. Yes, there would be changes in their lives in Babylon. Yes, they would experience a long season of exile. But this declaration was a promise that the Jewish people could trust. Their exile was not the end of the story. They would be rescued!
Because of Jesus, we have the same promise. Jesus paid the price for our sin. Our trust in him as savior includes not just that we are free from the bondage and penalty of sin. We are also assured that Jesus will be with us every step of our lives, and we will not see eternal death but rather eternal life.
It’s also important to remember when we face difficult situations this year that the Holy Spirit lives in us, and the powerful truth we find in scripture still applies to us in our daily lives. God is working his plans in us, and as Paul said in Philippians, he will see them to completion. Paul and Jeremiah urge us to trust that we will never be abandoned by God. He is not a passive savior. He is working on your behalf even today!
Father, we know that this year we will face unexpected headwinds and trouble. In those moments we pray that your Holy Spirit would draw us to your trustworthy word which tells us that we are never abandoned and that we do not have to be afraid because you are with us. Thank you that the difficulties of this life are not our ending but simply a step towards the victory that is ours in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Jeremiah 39:17-18; Philippians 1:6 ESV
Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
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