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               If we learned one thing from The Story, it might have been the pattern of God’s people to gradually slip away from God for quite a while, and to suffer the consequences of those choices. Then they cried out to God, confessing their sin and asking God to save them from their suffering. God intervened, and they lived together with God for a while, before gradually slipping away again. Often they suffered for at least 20-40 years, away from God, before crying out for God to help.

               I’ve often wondered how long it took the people to realize how far from God they had gone. I don’t know that very many of us choose the overtly rebellious path. No, rather we believe we’re still with God, honoring God, when in reality it starts small. Something else catches our attention and we wander after it, but then back to God, and repeat. We justify the back and forth as just part of life. Then we start reorienting our lives a bit for things we enjoy, justifying it by saying there’s a time for everything under heaven. Then we start acting selfishly, and we tell ourselves that of course we’re selfish; we’re human! Then gradually our selfishness turns into greed, and our other things we enjoy turn into the main things we focus on, subtly taking God’s place. Our time with God disappears, and we tell ourselves we need to get it back, but we never give it full effort. When our whole society does this, our values slip, our ethics and morals erode, and we have lost our foundation and mooring.

               Does this story sound reasonable? Familiar? It’s a slippery slope, and as much as we condemn God’s people in the Old Testament for following this path all of the time, it’s meant to be a mirror. In every time and age of God’s story, this happens. In every time and age of God’s story people don’t mean for it to happen, but their attention and vigilance wanes. The suffering that made them focus on God eases, and they settle into an easier and more comfortable life. They stop being vigilant, which is why Jesus tells the story of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom to come. Only 5 kept prepared and ready, and the other 5 missed the boat completely.

               As I weather the storm that I feel our country has come to be, as I give thanks for those doing their best in their own areas to quietly and faithfully resist, I think of this pattern from the Old Testament. I think of how easy it is to slip away from God by not paying attention and staying vigilant. I think of the years of suffering recorded in Scripture, realizing that probably the people didn’t understand for a good while how far from God they had gone. God knew, but they didn’t. I think of their gradual awakening to how bad things were. Then I give thanks for the faithful remnant.

               In so many cases, the faithful remnant were the ones who got it, who realized how far everyone had gone from God and the faith. They were the ones who were still trying to live the truth of God’s Word and love in the midst of all of the rest. They were often mocked and ridiculed, even persecuted for doing so. Let’s face it – no one likes people who may have figured out something important that you didn’t see.

               The faithful remnant were the ones who cried out in lament, “How long, O Lord?” They were the ones who prayed regularly for God’s deliverance. They were the ones who tried their best to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God even when it was really difficult to do so. The faithful remnant is who God listened to when God came to rescue and redeem the people in those moments – raising up a judge or a military leader to help them overthrow their oppressors, restoring them to right relationship with God and each other.

               It’s what we need now, is it not? We need restoration. We need deliverance. We need to recenter ourselves on justice, on kindness, on walking humbly with God. We need leaders who don’t thrive on cruelty and oppression and revenge.

               If you are crying out in distress like I am, claim the role of the faithful remnant. Seek in your own life to keep following the Lord Jesus, to keep serving God faithfully and making time to be with God and listen to what God means for you to do. Then pray. Pray for restoration and deliverance. Pray for us all to be humbled before God and to seek better and more faithful pathways. Pray for justice and righteousness, which walk hand in hand in Scripture.

               For God never fails to respond to the faithful remnant. God always answers; it just may not be in the time frame we desire. We can’t let that keep us from crying out, from lamenting, from seeking God’s favor and restoration. I don’t know how long we’ll need to suffer like this, but I do know that we’ve been heading for this point in this country for a very long time. Let’s see our modern story in the ancient stories of Scripture. Instead of condemning those in Scripture for their blindness, it’s time to look in the mirror and see ours. Let’s learn from all of the faithful remnants through the ages and follow in their footsteps to find hope.

In Christ's eternal love,

Pastor Kimberly