IT TAKES A TURNING

Psalm 119:5-6, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse..”

As we read this Scripture, we feel God’s heart for families. God longs for the turning of the hearts to children. This should also be our prayer and longing.

We know that that this Scripture was fulfilled in the life of John the Baptist of whom it was said, “He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost… And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

God chose John the Baptist to prepare the people for the first coming of Jesus by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children. But Jesus is coming a second time and the way must be prepared again. God is going to do it the same way, by turning the hearts of the fathers (and this also includes the mothers) back to the children. This issue is so important to the heart of God that He says that if it doesn’t happen, He will smite the earth with a curse. This is not something we can take lightly.

God started this human race with the mandate, “Be fruitful and multiply” and He is going to finish it the same way. God hasn’t changed His attitude toward children. He loves children. He calls them a blessing. When Jesus was on earth he embraced the children to Him and severely reprimanded those who turned them away. How can we be followers of God and yet have a different attitude about children than He does?

Are we on God’s agenda or the devil’s agenda? Truly it is time for God’s people to turn back to His ways. Will we turn or will we have the curse?

Malachi 3:18 says, “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves him not.” Do you notice that it is in returning that we will have understanding and discernment? While we continue to live according to our own agenda, we often live in oblivion to what God really wants. It is when we turn from our own way and turn back to Him and obedience to His Word that we begin to understand truth we have not seen before. Discernment comes after turning.

It is time for us to turn from pride, stubbornness, prayerlessness, disobedience, mediocrity, passiveness and following afar the spirit of this world.

Jesus came to turn us away from ungodliness. “God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)

“There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26)

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins…” (Acts 26:18)

“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40)

“I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” (Psalm 119:59)

“Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.” (Lamentations 5:21)

Which way are we going to turn? This generation and future generations hinge upon our decision.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL, ABOVE RUBIES

PRAYER:
“Oh God please save me from being deceived. Help me to turn completely to you so that I will discern what is truth and what is your way. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:
My heart is turned towards the Lord.

FURTHER STUDY:

Exhortations to turn back to God:
2 Chronicles 7:14; Job 36:10; Proverbs 1:23; Isaiah 44:22;
Jeremiah 3:14a, 4:1; 19, 22; 18:11; 25:5-6; 36:3, 7;
Ezekiel 14:6; 18:30-31; 33:11;
Hosea 6:1; 12:6; 14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Zechariah 1:3-4; Malachi 3:7

We have a responsibility to exhort people to turn back to God:
Jeremiah 23:22; 26:2-3; Ezekiel 33:7-9; Daniel 12:3; Malachi 2:6-7;
Acts 14:15; 26:16-18

Prayers of turning back to God:
1 Kings 8:35-36; 2 Chronicles 6:24-27; Psalm 80:3, 7, 19; 119:37;
Jeremiah 31:18-19; Lamentations 5:21; Hosea 14:1-2

Examples of turning back to God:
1 Kings 18:37-38; Malachi 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Peter 2:25

Examples of not turning away from God:
1 Kings 15:4-5; 2 Kings 22:1-2; 23:25; Psalm 44:18; Isaiah 50:5

Examples of turning away from God:
Leviticus 20:6; Numbers 14:43; Deuteronomy 31:18; Judges 8:33
1 Kings 11:1-11; 2 Chronicles 25:27; 29:6-8;
Psalm 78:9, 41, 56-57; Proverbs 28:9;
Isaiah 53:6; 44:20; 59:14-15;
Jeremiah 2:21, 27; 3:10; 5:3; 11:9-11; 15:6-7; 23:14-15; 32:33; 50:6;
Lamentations 1:8-9; Hosea 7:9-16; Amos 4:6, 9-11; Zephaniah 1:4-6; Haggai 2:17;
Acts 7:39; 2 Timothy 4:4

Examples of turning away QUICKLY:
Exodus 32:8; Deuteronomy 9:12, 16; Judges 2:17

Exhortations to turn from evil:
Deuteronomy 5:32-33; 11:16-17; 26-28; 28:14; 29:18-20; 30:17-18;
Joshua 1:7; 23: 6; 1 Samuel 12:20-21;
1 Kings 9:6-7; 2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 19-20;
Psalm 85:8; 125:5; Proverbs 4:27;
Ezekiel 18:24-28; 33:12-20;
2 Timothy 3:5; Hebrews 12:25

God promises and blessings to us if we turn back to Him:
Deuteronomy 4:30-31; 30:9-10; 1 Kings 18:37-38;
2 Chronicles 6:24-27, 37-39; 7:14; 7:19-20; 15:4; 30:6, 9;
Nehemiah 1:9; Job 22:23; Isaiah 55:7; 59:20-21;
Jeremiah 15:19-20; 18:7-10; 24:6-7; 26:2-3;
Ezekiel 18:21-23; 33:14-16, 19;
Joel 2:12-14; Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 4:5-6


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