15 December 2010 Devotion for Today "God Offline?" Isaiah 40:27-31

15 December 2010 Devotion for Today "God Offline?" Isaiah 40:27-31



As I was studying a passage of Scripture for my Wednesday night Bible study, I hit the "print" button on my computer. Instead of hearing the customary whirr of the printer, it did nothing. I looked at the panel and the green light, which normally remains on, was blinking. Then I looked on my laptop screen and a window that interfaces with the printer said, PRINTER OFFLINE! That meant I had to fool around with it a bit to get it to work again and after several moments of turning off the printer and restarting it, and even rebooting the laptop, both devices were "online" again and things started working normally.



Now I recognize that not everybody has an experience like this- and I don't want to leave anyone out. But if you are reading this devotional "online" then it is likely you are somewhat familiar with computer or internet terminology. When something goes "offline" it means it is malfunctioning or has completely shut down. Computer websites typically go "offline" for updating and regular maintenance. People go "offline" on Facebook chat or Twitter because they have a life and can't be spending every waking moment being available, and have to get on to something else. Computer and other electronic devices go "offline" when something is wrong with the connection or if there is a deliberate shut-down initiated by the operator. "Offline" typically means there is an interruption in the connection. This usually isn't a huge inconvenience, of course, unless the electrical power grid suddenly goes "Offline" during a major winter snow storm or cold snap and you are praying it goes online again before you freeze to death.



But have you ever considered what would happen if God ever went "Offline?" I doubt most of us ever have, because God is always available. He never shuts down. He never takes a vacation and He never sleeps. What's more, He is perfect and therefore never needs scheduled maintenance. Plenty of Scriptures abound to underscore this point: "And lo, I am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the world," says Jesus in Matthew 28:20. "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5. Or what about when David says in Psalm 23, "Yea thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me."? These and other Scriptures are constant assurances and reminders that God is always there and that He never goes "Offline." Can you imagine if that would ever happen, how disastrous that would be? That you would be praying and He didn't get your "knee-mail" because He went offline for a while? Literally millions of prayers would go unreceived because unknown to us, God didn't get them because there was a disconnect.



Isaiah mimics the cry of the typical Israelite when he asks in Isaiah 40:27

Why do you say, O Jacob,

And speak, O Israel:

“ My way is hidden from the LORD,

And my just claim is passed over by my God”?



It was another way of asking, since ancient Israelites did not possess computers, "God, have you gone offline?" He was complaining because he felt distant and alienated- disconnected from God.



But let's get closer to reality. If there ever were a time when you and I have ever experienced some disconnect between us and God it is not likely that it is God who is the source of the one being offline. It means we are the source of there being something gone wrong that puts us in Offline mode between us and God. Unlike God, we are constantly in need of spiritual and physical maintenance. Perhaps it is sin and our heart has gone offline, because the Bible says that if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us. We also always need sleep and go through periodic phases where we shut down for one reason or another. This means if there is an adjustment or a rebooting session that needs to occur, we need to do that to ourselves in order to reconnect the fellowship between us and God. Isaiah tells us in this Scripture that He always stands available to answer our prayers and to always be online whenever we need Him, but that it is up to us to keep those channels of communication open and keep ourselves "Online" for Him. And when we stay online with God, here is the result:



28 Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

31 But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)



Keep your spiritual systems restored and refreshed so that you will not go into Offline mode with God. Keep connected with Him. Possibly you might have to shut down something that is keeping you connected to the world so that you can go online again in your relationship with God. When you do, you will find, as Isaiah says, more power and joy than you know what to do with.



Refresh your system and stay online today with God. Have a blessed day!