"For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face,

 but in the time of their trouble they will say,

 "Arise and save us". 

But where are the god that you have made for yourselves?" 

Jeremaih 2:27b-28a

     I wonder how many times this can be said of me...turning my back but not my face to the Lord. A shameful act, but one we are all guilty of. Prayers that are nothing more than pleas for ourselves. Prayers uttered in the midst of unconverted sin, yet coveting blessing. Turning from righteousness with the back, with the doing, but turning the face, the mouth, to seek blessing. God's word promises to withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly and to hear the prayer of the righteous, but nothing is promised to those who seek for their own gain (Psalm 84:11, James 5:16b). When we describe someone putting all they have into something we commonly say, they put their "back" into that. Having one's "back" involved shows one's self being involved in something. I can set my face toward something, i can lock my eyes upon a prize, but it remains unattained until my back has undergone the necessary training and doing to attain the goal. The Lord utters in these verses the state of the nation, they had foolishly turned to false gods, forsaking Jehovah. Those whose backs had once set themselves to serve the Lord, the God who brought them out of Egypt, had now turned their back to Him and sought after foolish gains. The following verses describe the multitude and complications they brought within their lives, having many different gods..."For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah" (vs. 28c). How foolish, we think, to turn to a life of having a different god for different things, when they had all they needed in the One true God, Jehovah Himself. However, that same foolishness is often seen in our own lives. True, it may not be in such a blatant form, but similarly we allow the desires, the responsibilities, and the distractions of this world to become rivaling gods in our life, rivaling our time and our position before Jehovah. 

     What is your position before Him this day? Is your back set to the work He has placed before you? Or is only your face toward Him? Are your prayers for strength to endure in the work for His kingdom, or for selfish gain? Are you just looking to Him or are you running toward Him? If the nation was so easily able to be rightly accused of turning their back on Jehovah, may I take it as a warning to consider the position of my back. It would be a shame to live as only a face or only a voice, apart from a back ready to work, hands ready to do, feet ready to go. 

     Lord, may we never be found with backs turned toward You, but may our bodies and our lips be one in our work unto You. May our prayers be for the establishment of Your work completed through our backs, our bodies, being poured out for Your service. May the world see the foolishness of the gods of this age, as we turn their eyes to walk on to see Jehovah's holy face.