¨A cave-dwelling fish with no eyes and no scales has been discovered on a tiny island in Vietnam's scenic Ha Long Bay, according to conservation group Fauna & Flora International. Its lack of eyes and scales are actually common adaptations for animals that have evolved in the darkness of deep limestone caverns. Like other cave fish, D. narinosus is limited to a life in freshwater, which means it is likely confined to a system of subterranean caves on Van Gio Island, unable to swim out into the surrounding sea.¨ (www.livescience.com/25175-new-eyeless-scaleless-cave-fish-found.html)
I have heard many times people say that they used to be saved or used to go to church. In the majority of these cases, the so-called former-Christian has multiple reasons that he or she uses to explain or justify why his or her belief isn't the same. Although the reasons are often different and almost always circumstantial, it made me wonder, ¨What happens to a person after they have been out of fellowship with God for an extended period of time?¨ The answer may surprise you.
The snippet from the article (above) describes the adaptive condition of a fish that has lived in a light-less environment for such an extended period of time that its eyes have actually disappeared. Because there has been no use for vision due to the lack of light, its eyes had become obsolete. This is eerily similar to what happens to believers who don't fellowship with God. The discernment, guidance, and wisdom that can only be produced by the development of a believer through the Holy Spirit, by spending time God's presence becomes obsolete when a believer is out of fellowship with God.
Think of it this way; why would a computer need to use valuable RAM space for functions that it no longer utilizes? Computers automatically dump some files that take up space for other files that are deemed more important. However, in theory, if the files are system files, this could negatively affect the performance of the computer in some ways. By the same token, when we don't spend time with God, sin will inevitably creep in and, as a result, our understanding and ultimately our lifestyle will be affected.
Have you ever noticed that when you sin (trust me, you do), things tend to upset you quicker? Your husband's annoying habits become more annoying. Your best friend's personality becomes a lot more difficult to deal with. Your parents' nagging pushes you further than it used to. All these factors are impossible to deal with in a way that pleases God if you are lacking the tools that God has provided you with. What's more disturbing is that your entire view of God is shifted. You haven't been exercising faith, so faith seems to become less important. You haven't been faithful to God in serving Him, so serving Him makes less sense. You have been putting yourself first, so sacrifice becomes less logical.
A former believer that has fallen out of fellowship with God absolutely lacks the capacity to handle the load of a true believer. A person in this state tends to compromise for pleasure and make excuses for sin, instead of recognizing the trespasses, praying for grace, and seeking God for direction. When a person is found to be in this place, the only option is to stop and turn around.
I have been emphasizing the importance of spending time with God, but what does that really mean? The first thing that one must realize is that time spent with God is not something that happens by chance, but rather, it is the result of an intentional act by way of sincerity, discipline, and humility.
“We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.” R.A. Torrey
Don't allow life's obstacles and distractions to divert your attention away from what matters the most. Our time spent with God prepares us for the journey, giving us awareness of what lies ahead in our path.
“If God doesn’t want something for me, I shouldn’t want it either. Spending time in meditative prayer, getting to know God, helps align my desires with God’s.” Phillips Brooks
Taking time to pray expresses your trust in God's plan for your life. This is enveloped within the understanding that God has an incredible purpose for placing you where you are at any given time. There is never a need to worry about your future to the point that you deviate from the course that God has designed. Instead, prayer will give you comfort that God has considered all things and is bringing all things into alignment in a way that only He can.
“Spending time with God puts everything else in perspective.”
When items toward the visual horizon are far, they seem small. When those same items are nearer, they seem larger. Although the items never change in size or volume, their position affects how we see them. Simply put, when we spend time with God and we position ourselves near to Him, everything else shrinks. When we neglect spending time with God, our perspective is altered and we don't see things the way that we should.
To close, I will pray this prayer: ¨I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people¨ - Ephesians 1:18
...while you pray this prayer: ¨Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.¨ Psalm 119:18
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