Reset Alerts

The other morning the power to our home was temporarily interrupted. The lights and all other electrical appliances momentarily shut off. Powers resumed very quickly. Everything began to work properly within less than two minutes of the power going out. Despite the shortness of the time that the power was out, there were things in the house that needed to be reset before they could function properly again.

I did not immediately get up to reset everything. A clock that sits on a table in our den continued to flash through the morning, reminding me that the power had gone out. It was also a reminder of the other items that also needed to be reset. Finally, after going about my daily activities for several hours, I took the clock in hand and properly set the time. I had already tended to the microwave and other items that needed attention.

Although it took only a moment to reset the time on the clock, I ignored it for hours. During that entire time I witnessed the flashing numerals that alerted me to the inaccuracy of the time displayed and the need to put in the correct time. The flashing was a reminder to prevent confusion regarding the clocks display. Resetting was simple, but necessary, and stopped that irritating flashing.

How many times do we have reminders flashing in our lives? There may have been a minor power outage in our relationship with the Lord. A seemingly small sin needs to be repented of. Forgiveness of one who has hurt us may be required. A failure to follow through on a direction given by the Holy Spirit has occurred. Even when these seem to be minor, we cannot avoid correcting the situation and getting our lives back on track with God.

Just like that flashing light on the clock, there are things that God allows to alert us to making change in our lives. We can hear promptings from the Holy Spirit that allow us to know something is not quite right.  Like David we should be quick to obey.  ^“I considered my ways; I turned my feet to [obey] Your testimonies.  I made haste and delayed not to keep Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:59-60 AMP) As the Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience, we must listen carefully. “…we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away.” (Hebrews 2:1 AMP) We cannot afford to keep on ignoring the flashing warnings in our hearts.

Whatever has caused the break in power in our lives, the Holy Spirit will always lead us to repentance. We must listen. This was important enough that the writer of Hebrews spoke it twice in the same chapter. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice,  Do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness,”  and again “Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them].” (Hebrews 3:7-8, 15 AMP) Anything worth repeating is worth obeying.

We should take heed to these warnings immediately. Anything that interrupts our connection to God must be rectified. So whether it is repenting from sin, forgiving others or following through on a task God has called us to, we must obey and not put things off. Just as it only took a moment to stop that light from flashing, it only takes a moment to make things right and restore unbroken fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Don’t delay. If anything has interrupted your connection with our heavenly father, take a moment to get it right immediately. Things will be so much better when you to. Your heart will be lighter and your joy will increase when your life is reset.