Repenting and turning towards the Lord

S - Jeremiah 3
O Israel, my faithless people,
    come home to me again,
for I am merciful.
    I will not be angry with you forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt.
    Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and committed adultery against him
    by worshiping idols under every green tree.
Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

14 “Return home, you wayward children,”
    says the Lord,
    “for I am your master.
I will bring you back to the land of Israel
    one from this town and two from that family—
    from wherever you are scattered.
15 And I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
    who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.

O-I was pleasantly surprised to find this verse in Jeremiah because I really think it is applicable even to us today as Christians. The verse discusses God's words to the nation of Israel as their about to be sent out into exile and they are words that God is showing his love and mercy by showing them the way back to him. As Christians we have the extra benefit of having an intercessory person in Christ who helps us on that Journey back to God but the process is still the same. We must confess and admit our shortcomings you must confess and admit that some how often the Lord has already spoken to us his truth and what we are to do and many times we do not follow. And lastly I observe that God is just waiting to send us people in our lives who will Shepherd us well back to him if only we would start with repentance and turn towards him.

A-the application for me is as a Christian to develop that daily if not situational habit of recognizing when I do not have God's favor and I need to assess my own sin my own rebellion and my own areas of my life where despite God's guidance I have wondered from his ways. Recently I went through a period of great doubt and concern about how how I had wandered away from the Lord and if I could ever make it back. This verse from Jeremiah tells me there is always a way back with God we are simply to repent turn away from the things that are not of God and turn towards him and lastly wait on him patiently for he is trustworthy and able to deliver on his promises. For me that look like over a year of waiting on the Lord dealing with my sins but I can Proclaim that he has delivered me he has giving me leadership guidance and Restoration in the current season here in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

P-DEAR Heavenly Father thank you Lord for this lesson this message this reminder of Who You Are. You have laid out your Commandments you have given us your truthes and I am just too week at times to stay disciplined to them all but I am grateful for the chance to come and repent and turn back towards you. Lord I confess in the past that I had let Idols of work money house and things of this world become my God when you are my one true God. I thank you Lord for delivering me and restoring my mental emotional spiritual and physical health in the season now can I ask Lord that you would keep me close to you you would give me frequent reminders and help me to repent from the small before the Gap becomes large. I pray all this in Jesus name amen.