Return to the Lord
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Joel 2:12, 13
We have to feel sorry for the wrong doing and turn to our Lord, who loves us so much and gave Himself for us.
Jonah:
The Word of the Lord came to Jonah to go to Nineveh but he rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He boarded a ship and there was a great wind upon the sea. They picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. He was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. He prayed to the Lord from the belly of the fish. The Lord made the fish to vomit Jonah out upon the dry land. The word o the Lord came to Jonah the second time to go back to Nineveh. He was asked to tell them to them to turn to the Lord as Nineveh shall be overthrown in forty days. The people of Nineveh believed in God. They fasted, put on sack cloth, from the greatest to the least. The king too joined the fast, wearing the sack cloth and sat in ashes. They all humbled themselves and called unto the Lord. The Bible says in Jonah 3:10, ‘God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.’ WHY? God is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Prodigal son:
A father had two sons. The younger one wanted his share of property, left home and went to a far country. He squandered his property in reckless living. After he spent everything he was hired by a man who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He did not get even the pods that the pigs ate. BUT when he came to himself he returned to his father and confessed his wrong doings. He really felt sorry for what he did. The father who was eagerly waiting for his return accepted him and made a great feast.
Jesus Christ who shed His blood on Calvary is longingly waiting for our return. His blood washes us clean.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
King David:
When King David sinned with Bathsheba, the Lord sent the Prophet Nathan to him. He felt sorry for his sin and turned to the Lord. In Psalm 51, he is crying to the Lord to wash, to cleanse and to purge him. He is asking the Lord to restore the joy of his salvation.
Peter:
One of the closest disciples of Jesus, denied Him three times even after Jesus warned him. The Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the sayings of the Lord Jesus and he went out and wept bitterly. Thus Peter turned to his Master again. Luke 22:61, 62
When the Lord speaks to us, we have to feel sorry for our sins and short comings. We have to confess and turn back to our Lord. ‘Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.’ Proverbs 28:13 ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ I John 1:9 Jesus is waiting for us. Let us turn to Him who loves us so much. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
MEMORY VERSE:
‘Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.’ Proverbs 28:13
நீதிமொழிகள் 28:13
‘தன் பாவங்களை மறைக்கிறவன் வாழ்வடையமாட்டான்; அவைகளை அறிக்கை செய்து விட்டுவிடுகிறவனோ இரக்கம் பெறுவான்.’
Shared by Sis. Anitha Arun
3-23-2015
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