An Invitation to Return and Renew a Relationship with God - Part One
“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul” - Deuteronomy 30:1-3 (KJV)
From the glorious grander and goodness during the reigns of King David and King Solomon to the demoralizing depth of destruction at the fall of Jerusalem, Israel's history has been a legacy of either being blessed or cursed under the conditions of the Old Covenant. It seems that their only consistency in regards to their obedience to the Lord’s commands was their inconsistency. However, as we read the pages of Scripture, we do see a consistent thread woven throughout time in God’s unfailing mercy displayed through His repeated invitations to return and renew! Consider what the Word of God has to say with respect to returning and renewing our relationship with Him when we are running down the road of rebellion.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” - Isaiah 1:18 (KJV)
“If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.” - Jeremiah 4:1 (KJV)
While it is easy to point out Israel’s faults in their relationship with God, we must also realize our own tendency to follow similar patterns. I call this the “break-up to make–up” mindset. I am sure that you have experienced this mindset at some point in your walk with the Lord. First you love the Lord, then you do not! Instead of displaying an attitude of maturity, your actions are more similar to those of an insolent child. Perhaps you fall into this pattern when He has directed you to comply with His commandments like: loving your neighbor, submitting to authority, husbands to love their wives and wives to submit and respect their husbands, to serve and support your church with the time and the money that the Lord your God has given you, witnessing, or confessing our faults to one another. Too often the things that the Lord expects of us are met with the attitude of “I love You, Lord, but you are expecting too much!” I am so grateful that God does not conduct Himself like the romantic that picks the petals off the flower and says “they love me, they love me not!”
Challenge: What type of attitude are you currently displaying towards God? Are you seeking to consistently submit to His commandments with an attitude of grateful obedience or are you refusing to surrender your will to His plan? If you are operating in disobedience, I encourage you to repent and return to God!
Join me again next time when we will visit in greater detail the kind of heart that is essential for enjoying a renewed relationship with God!
Not a Sermon But a Thought,
PBKSR