Turned Away Backward
It is one thing to miss God's will and to sin. It is a whole different thing to be turned away backward in reference to God and His will.(Isaiah 1:4) That is where Israel found themselves when God sent the Prophets to call them to turn back to Him, and that is where we find ourselves in America today. Therefore, we need to listen closely to the message of the Old Testament Prophets, as we read through them the next several months.
We are a sinful nation, a sinful people group. We are laden with iniquity, our sins are so numerous they are weighing us down. We are a brood of evildoers. I know we don't like to admit that, but it is true that people today love to think up evil things to do. Even our children are corrupters, instead of being innocent. We have chosen to forsake God as a people, so that we have provoked Him to anger. Now, we find ourselves backward to the Lord and His ways, not just a little off. All of that requires a full about face correction, a complete turning back to God, or else we face serious consequences, as Israel did.
Some may say, "I have not turned from the Lord, I am fully facing Him." I am glad if that is your testimony, and surely there is a remnant of faithful believers. However, we cannot fully separate ourselves from our people. We have to take some responsibility to confess the sins of our people, and to call people lovingly to come back to the Lord. We need to be the prophets for our time. It may lead to persecution and death, but we must be the light and the salt, or we are worthless, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 4-6.
We are a sinful nation, a sinful people group. We are laden with iniquity, our sins are so numerous they are weighing us down. We are a brood of evildoers. I know we don't like to admit that, but it is true that people today love to think up evil things to do. Even our children are corrupters, instead of being innocent. We have chosen to forsake God as a people, so that we have provoked Him to anger. Now, we find ourselves backward to the Lord and His ways, not just a little off. All of that requires a full about face correction, a complete turning back to God, or else we face serious consequences, as Israel did.
Some may say, "I have not turned from the Lord, I am fully facing Him." I am glad if that is your testimony, and surely there is a remnant of faithful believers. However, we cannot fully separate ourselves from our people. We have to take some responsibility to confess the sins of our people, and to call people lovingly to come back to the Lord. We need to be the prophets for our time. It may lead to persecution and death, but we must be the light and the salt, or we are worthless, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 4-6.