I can lose……..

“You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.”    Psalm 17:3  NLT

I must distinguish between my union with Jesus, which is secure, and my communion with Christ, which is extremely fragile.

I must not delude myself into thinking that while my relationship with Jesus is secure, so is my awareness of His presence and power.

There are things I can lose.

I can lose the presence and power of Jesus as easily as Mary and Joseph lost Him in the caravan returning home from Jerusalem. (Luke 2:41-19)

By neglecting Him I can allow the weeds to grow in our relationship, choking out the fruits of a close, sweet walk with Him.   Neglect needs no overt action, no sharp disobedience, just a dulling of the finely tuned relationship we once had.  Then He is gone!

Or I can lose Him as Mary Magdalene lost Him, in the mad chain of circumstances that led Him to His death on the cross.  The swirling turn of events that snatched Him from her was beyond her understanding, but her loss was just as real and painful.  

So God can send a series of devastating losses in my life, involving friends, loved ones, opportunities, or whatever.   If I turn my attention to my losses and take my eyes off Him, I will lose Him in the flow.

I can also lose Him by my sin and indifference, and hear Him say, “Your sin and iniquities have separated…….you and your God.”  (Isa. 59:2)

Of all the reasons for losing Jesus, that is the most reprehensible, because it indicates a deliberate evaluation and a choice: “I want sin, not Jesus.”

If I choose sin, Jesus withdraws and I am left only with my immoral choice.

“Thank You, God, that You will never be untouched by my tears of repentance.”

“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”  Psalm 51:17 NLT

“Let the joy of Your saving power return to me. And give me a willing spirit to obey you.”   Psalm 51:12 NLV