U-Turn When Necessary

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

This verse is so refreshing to me.  It is in this place that Solomon has finished building the Temple, he has dedicated it to God, and feels like what he set out to do is now finished.  During the night the Lord appears to him.  In this time the words above that I have shared are spoken clearly to Solomon.  Let me take the time to break them down and find out what they mean for us, right now, today!

If my people, who are called by my name…

This is a huge beginning to the verse.  God’s people.  You’re not just anyone when you make Jesus Lord of your life.  Yes, in the Old Testament God is talking to the Israelites and right now I am applying this verse to our time.  We are all part of God’s chosen people through the blood of Jesus.  I can’t imagine belonging to anyone else or having any better title than “God’s people.”  What a great start to the day!  It makes me get excited and ask, “What’s next?”  What is God going to ask us to do?  And how will He follow through on His side of the bargain?  Let’s see!

…will humble themselves…

God’s people must humble themselves.  We must realize that nothing in and of ourselves saves us.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for the righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)

Christ came at just the right time.  The time that God appointed and died for us, even while we were unworthy.  In return, the least we can do is humble ourselves before Him.  It is He who ought to be lifted up in us!

…and pray…

God’s people must stay in communication with Him.  It’s so easy to forget that prayer is a way to stay in constant communication with God.  He wants us to remain in a relationship with Him at all times.  The whispers of our heart; He hears.  The thoughts on our minds; He hears.  The heaviness on our hearts; He feels.  It’s time to bring it all to Him in prayer.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

The key ingredient to prayer is to remember to bring it all to Him with thanksgiving, knowing that He has been faithful to you time and time again!  Remember, prayer is a link to keep you connected to God.  It’s not a wishing well to get what you want from God. Like throwing in a coin, making a wish, and hoping it comes true.  No, prayer is taking the time to present your requests to God and knowing that He knows best how to answer each one.  He will be faithful!

…and seek my face…

We must continue every day to seek God’s face.  When a person determines what career they want to have, they choose their education based on that!  When someone wants to get to know their future mate they spend time with them.  When someone wants to figure out if they are going to be friends with someone, they ask a lot of questions.  Everything we place value in takes time.  And the most valuable relationship we will ever have is our relationship with God, so take time to seek His face every moment that you can.  Seek it through His Word, through nature, through music, through prayer, through art, etc.  This is how you will come to know God better and his guidance for your life.

…and turn from their wicked ways.

This speaks for itself.  If there is anything in your life that has put up a roadblock from knowing who God is better, than ask God to remove it!  Make a U-turn in the road if need be and don’t go back to the things that would want to keep you away from God.  God’s ways are higher and better than this world’s ways!

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

Now what will God do in return when you have done these first four things.  Let me share this with you!

God will hear you from heaven, God will forgive their sin and heal their land!

All the things that are between you and God will be removed, if you take the steps in between.  Humble yourself, pray, seek His face, and make a U-turn when needed.  Don’t let the stumbling blocks get in the way of a real relationship with God.  Walk towards Him, run when possible, and enjoy a relationship that is closer than any human relationship.

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:22-23)

Draw near to God and as the obstacles disappear, His forgiveness you will find.  His forgiveness flows freely through His Son’s blood!  Shed for you on the cross.  Never to be taken for granted.  Whether you have known this for 50 years or 5 seconds.  Take the time to say thank you once again.  Healing comes as we surrender ourselves to God and the direction He has for us.  Often we want to do things differently even though we know God is bigger and wiser.  We need to step back and let Him continue doing what He knows best!  If you are someone who has read this and is unsure if you are a child of God, please send me a comment.  Make a decision today to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life.  I promise you, life will make a lot more sense.  I can’t promise you, that life will always be easy, but I can promise that God will always be there.  And I would love to be your new sister in Christ!  Just leave me a comment and I will get back to you ASAP!

Dear Father God, I pray that I will learn to draw near to You.  Please help me to surrender control of my life daily to You.  May I humble myself before You, so You can be lifted up.  That is my greatest desire!  Please remove any obstacles that stand in the way of me knowing You in a greater way!

Always Learning to Surrender Daily,