The 1961 song The Wanderer by Dion tells the story of a guy that refuses to settle down. He goes from girl to girl and town to town.
While this is the ballad about a heart that refuses to commit to a woman, it very accurately reflects the twisted way we refuse to commit to God. This is not surprising nor is it new. God has seen our wandering heart and has been calling us back to himself from the very beginning.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”
Psalms 1:1-3 NIV
Staying rooted in God is the only path to life. Yet since Adam and Eve we have been prone to wander. We are so easily distracted and led astray. It seems that everyday, every hour, I wander. Sometimes this is overt sin, but just as deadly, is the subtle distraction and ambivalence that leads to disconnect.
The love and provision of God never fails and never stops. However, if I am honest with myself and review my day, I am perpetually disconnecting. And then I wonder, fret, and complain about God’s distance. Yet, the promise of God is that He will stay close and provide. All I need to do is stay connected – rooted in Him.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.””
Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7 NIV
A practical tip: try setting an alarm a few times a day to call you to prayer. Put it in your calendar as. 5 min meeting. Get up from whatever you are doing and spend a few minutes walking and talking and listening to God.