Vacation?

Many of you know that I have been teaching 4th and 5th graders since January of this year. They have been SUCH a delight and blessing (albeit a challenge, too, at times, LOL)! I’m teaching in a small Christian school. My kids have been looking forward to vacation, and now it has arrived!

Back to the kids in a bit. But now for a short English lesson just before my main point.
Vacation comes from the Latin meaning freedom or exemption. It is a somewhat similar root to the word vacant which means to be empty, to be free.

Now to my points, and there are three:

1. God never takes a vacation from us.
He chooses never to be free from us or to leave us. “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”, “Lo I am with you always even to the end of the world”, “Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” are just a tiny trickle of the promises of God’s constant abiding presence with us! After all, isn’t one of the names of Jesus Emmanuel GOD WITH US?
To show how very much with us He is, His only Son came to die for us (yes, you included) at the time we most needed Him, when we were sinners and apart from Him! He is our Good Shepherd, always caring for us and meeting our needs. God never sleeps. God does NOT take a vacation nor do we find ourselves vacant (empty) of His presence and His love (Read Romans 8! I could quote it for you, but this is your homework: I want you to read it for yourselves, especially the last part.)
NOTHING separates us from His love! NOTHING!

2. We should never take a vacation from God.
When we think of all He has done for us and of His unconditional and unending love for us, how can we? Yet, too often we do, and it’s not just in the summertime. In the summer we are often busy with recreational plans, vacations, and fun, and our church attendance is too often slack. Yep, there are too many vacant seats in churches in the summer! I encourage you to do what I encouraged my children to do this summer: keep on learning! What better time than a vacation to spend more time with God in learning from His Word and leaning on Him in prayer? More time with family is a good reason for vacation, and who is more important to spend time with than our Heavenly Father? Nothing is more refreshing and relaxing! And, you know, churches get really blessed when we show up to visit when we’re not at home. Then, too, there are many people everywhere who do not know the Lord. If you do know Him, God may be placing you in a divine appointment to share a witness for Him.

3. If He is our Lord, and He is, whether we admit that or not, we must spend time praising Him and living in His love.
Several weeks ago, I was putting up a bulletin board. I had taken pictures of my children. I had the words Jesus loves us. The us was on the middle of a cross. I had the kids’ pictures. They had just studied about Peter’s confession of Christ where he said in Matthew 16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Their worksheet had little scrolls. One scroll asked, “Who did men say that Jesus was?” The second said, “Who did Peter say Jesus is?” The third asked. “Now, who do you say Jesus is?” Every one of my kids had some wonderful answers to that last question! I placed their answers beside their pictures. I was going to put the words “Jesus is Lord” at the bottom of the bulletin board, but one of my boys came to me and said, “Mrs. Johnson, that needs to say, “Jesus is OUR Lord.” WOW! Of course, I made that correction before putting those words on the board. Is Jesus YOUR Lord? He gave His very best, His own life, for your sins. This summer don’t free or vacate yourself from Him! Vacate other things so that you can spend even more time with Him. After all, He IS Emmanuel, God with us!”
About the Author

Graceblest is an administrator at the Parsons Corner Internet Ministries. She is an avid devotional writer and her devotions are available on the PCIM Christian Fellowship Message Board at http://parsonscorner.org/pcimunity/. Please visit our message board.