The Little Things - From His Heart - Week of September 16, 2016

On January 28, 1986, America was shocked and deeply saddened as we watched the Space Shuttle Challenger go up in flames, 73 seconds into its historic mission.  Seven lives were lost that day, including elementary school teacher, Christa McAuliffe. 
 
When the cause of the explosion was investigated, experts determined the culprit was a rubber O-ring seal failure.  In light of the billion-dollar price tag of the Challenger, the O-rings were an extremely small and insignificant cost.  Regardless, those minor little O-rings had a major impact on the mission.  Seven brave and precious souls stepped into eternity that day due to alittle part that caused a deadly problem. 
 
SOLOMON AND THE LITTLE THINGS
 
In the twenty-fourth chapter of Proverbs, wise King Solomon notices the vineyard of the lazy man.  Instead of seeing luscious fruit on a well-manicured vine, Solomon saw devastation.  The stone wall encircling the vineyard was broken down and dilapidated.  The weeds and thorn bushes had taken over.  There was no fruit, only futility. 
 
As Solomon stopped to contemplate the situation, he no doubt asked himself this key question, “How did this happen?  How did a once fruitful vineyard become such a disaster?”  God gave him this important insight, “Son, it happened little by little.”
 
Just like the little O-rings on the Challenger, it is the little things that make a huge difference.  People’s lives don’t fall apart all at once.  They fall apart little by little.  Little compromises here, and little corner-cuttings there end up producing a broken down, fruitless, weed-infested life. 
 
Interestingly, Solomon was graciously given this insight, and yet he did not apply it to his own life.  Solomon unwisely began adding wives to his harem, justifying his actions by telling himself these intermarriages were important to keep the peace with the neighboring kingdoms.  Yet he disregarded the clear word of God to the king, “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away” (Deuteronomy 17:17).  
 
And that is exactly what happened to Solomon.  His many wives—he had 700 of them—turned his heart away from God.  Solomon literally became the broken down vineyard as he compromised with sin little by little by little and wandered so far from God.    
 
WHAT ABOUT YOU?  
 
Are you still seeking the Lord as you once did?  Is your prayer life still vibrant and exciting?  Is your quiet time still water to your thirsty soul?  Is your church involvement still strong?  Or have you started to coast?  Has compromise set in?  Have you been taking little steps in the wrong direction?  Those little steps add up over time.  If an airplane traveling from JFK to LAX is just one degree off on its flight path, it will end up landing in the Pacific Ocean, 40 miles offshore.  Don’t let that be your story. 
 
Take an inventory of your life.  Make the necessary course corrections.  You don’t have to end up a broken down, fruitless vineyard.  Let God turn things around in you today as you begin to seek Him with all your heart, just like you did when you first came to know Him. 
 
The song so aptly states, “Bring back the new again, I want to see You again.  Bring back the way it was, when we began.”

Love,