God's Thoughts

 Isaiah 55:8,9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God’s love and mercy are beyond human understanding. We are quick to judge and quick to serve justice. Many times our first reaction is, “They deserve what is coming to them.” Israel turned their backs on God. Why should God pursue them? God told Isaiah, tell my people to turn back to me, tell them I have water and food to satisfy their hunger. Tell them I will listen to their cries of confession of sin and unbelief. Let them know that I will not turn them away if they only seek me. Time after time, Israel rejected and left the covenant that God made with them, yet God continues to call out to them. 
We may have friends and loved ones that have turned away from God and their faith for whatever reason. They cannot see their way back to God and don’t feel that they deserve God’s mercy. They have lost their way and in their thinking God is far away, and nowhere to be found. They have failed God over and over again and have given up trying to serve Him, and like the prodigal son, they seek to find happiness in the pleasures of this world. But in their lostness, God's thoughts are toward them and desires that they should turn from their ways of sin and turn and run to Him. With jealous love, God pursues them and shows His love and mercy. His thoughts are of love and forgiveness, thoughts of reconciliation, thoughts of redemption. This type of thinking is beyond comprehension. We must not give up on those that God has not given up on. Let our thoughts be like Jesus, and love others unconditionally and extend hope to all who have lost their way.

Return Back

 Nehemiah 1:9
But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen…

As long as we have breath, it is never too late to turn back to God. No matter what we have done to grieve Him from our life, He is always reaching out, entreating us to return back to Him. The conditions are simple, keep His commandments, live your life according to His word. His promise is true, He will not turn you away. Jesus said “Come unto me all of you who labor and carry a heavy burden, I will give you rest”. The load of sin is heavy, the guilt is hard to bear, labor not any longer, turn to Jesus, He will accept you with open arms.

Turn Back To God

 Isaiah 55:6
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

There are times in our lives that we sense that God is near. Things in our lives happen, and God reveals Himself to us wanting us to draw near. But in this passage, Isaiah was speaking to a people that turned their heart away from God and living self absorbed lives. They only cared about themselves and only that which gave them satisfaction. They refused to walk in the way of the Lord and follow God. God in His mercy, makes the plea to turn around and return to the right path. He who made heaven and earth and formed man wants his creation to return back to Him and take the way of righteousness. He is near and is calling out to everyone who will listen to turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves, pray, and seek the face of God, He will forgive their sins and wicked ways.

The Consuming Fire

 Psalm 104:35
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

“For our God is a consuming fire” are the words spoken by the writer of the book of Hebrews. God hates sin, and the wages of sin is death. God is Holy. In His holiness He shows us his love, grace, mercy, and long suffering. But, He is also a just God and He does not abide with sin and those who refuse to turn from it. The consequence of committing sin is death, but we have an advocate in Christ. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” God is Love, and has made provisions for us to escape the consuming fire that is to come. Let us call upon His name, and praise Him for all He has done. Let the wicked turn from their wicked ways, else they be no more. Let all sinners come to know Jesus before God’s judgment falls. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways”- Ek 33:11.  “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”-James 4:8

Rejoice in the Lord

Habakkuk 3:17,18  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Life is not always a bowl of cherries. Things often don’t turn out the way we want them to. The efforts we make sometimes seems to be useless and without anything to show. We try to make a difference and the fruit of our labors seem to be all in vain. Discouragement settles in and the temptation to quit trying knocks at the door. just as it seems that we are making progress, the bottom falls out and we are back to square one. Weather it be circumstances at work, home, or the church we can find ourselves alone looking at our circumstance and asking why. In times like this, there is but only one thing to do. Turn our hearts toward the God our salvation. Lift up our hearts in praise. Rejoice in the goodness of God and His love for each one of us. Everything in the world may be turned upside down, but God mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. He sees our uprising and downsitting. He knows the struggle we face from day to day, and He understands our frustrations. Life happens and it often will be discouraging, but God is the same and He changes not. “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice”

Turning to God

Ezekiel 18: 28 “Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live: he shall not die.”-

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life- Turning to God is the way out of sin and despair. Sin is a willful transgression against the known will of God. This is the sin that man is accountable for. We live in vessel made of clay and any transgression from perfect that resulted without choice is covered by the blood of Christ. Sin that is committed by our will and choice is also covered by the blood, but it must be confessed. if any man sin (willfully) we have a advocate, a mediator, who is Christ Jesus. With the mouth confession is made to to God and He in His love and mercy will forgive so that we can continue to live. Repenting of making wrong choices is the way we stay alive. Turning to God for forgiveness is the right choice. It is His will that we sin not, but if we do, He provides a way back.