DEVOTIONAL GUIDE: When is it bad enough to turn to God?

I have been reading through the Bible in a year for several years now. I am always surprised by how hard God’s people’s hearts get to the messengers and messages that God sent them to turn them back to God.

I am reading in Judges now, and the people forget God and start worshiping all kinds of idols and other gods. Then God brings an enemy to punish them, and after 10 to 20 years of suffering they remember to call out to God. God hears their cry and raises up a judge to lead them to victory and peace until that Judge dies. Then they go right back to the same immorality and idolatry, and God has to bring calamity on them again.

We are being told through the media, and through the laws being passed, that government is our deliverer and will solve your problems, pay your bills and give you what you think you deserve. Science is being worshiped as if it has all the answers. True science is only discovering how God made things.

The nature of humanity is still tainted by sin, and you can find corruption in every place man thinks he has control. The Bible tells us things will get bad before Jesus comes back. When Jesus does come back, He will settle the score with those who reject Him.

The Bible also tells us that God is full of compassion and mercy and that He will hear the cries of His people. “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

The National Day of Prayer is May 4. There are gatherings that day all over our country from Washington, D.C., to most state capitals and in many small communities like ours. We gather every year at the old courthouse/museum lawn in Park Rapids at noon on the first Thursday of May to pray. To call out to God who is the only hope for our nation and for each of us as individuals.

How bad does it have to get for you before you realize that you need to turn to God?

I once hoped that the leaders in our state government would realize that God made humans male and female, that God gave parents the responsibility to raise their children, that life begins at conception and that abortion is killing a human being. But most of our state representatives do not agree with God on these issues and are making laws that will force their views and agenda on all of us.

There is only one hope, and that is to cry out to God. That includes repenting of our sins and turning to God for forgiveness and help in our time of need. Please join us at noon Thursday, May 4 at the courthouse to pray.