Daily devotional, 16 May 2024 Make a U-Turn
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on Him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:7
Back when I was 18, and a brand new driver, I remember my dad telling me that if I find myself lost, the best way to find the right direction is to take a u-turn and go back where I came from. I ascribe to this advice given that there were no cellphones yet at that time, moreso GPS navigation systems that could help me find my way. It was effective then, and even now, I still heed that advice.
As followers of Jesus, we may still get lost in the way. When we distance ourselves from God and lose sight of Him, we could get disoriented and head towards the wrong direction. When we get distracted, we might just go astray.
But God is so gracious and merciful that He gives us the chance to find our way back to Him. He encourages us to stop heading the wrong way, make a turn, and head straight back to Him.
"Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever." Jeremiah 3:12
When the Israelites clamored for a king, God took offense and Samuel the high priest told the people that. Samuel also relayed what God said to him — that while He was displeased that the Israelites were not content with having Him as their king, He is still giving them the chance to mend their ways.
"And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for Himself."
1 Samuel 12:20-22
God has always been consistent in extending us His grace and mercies. That if we only come back to Him, confess our sins, step away and repent from them, He will accept us anew. He might even change His mind about the punishments He has in mind for us.
"For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him."
2 Chronicles 30:9
The key here actually is to be humble enough to accept that we made a mistake. To realize that we have a Creator to come back to who can take us out of the muddy pit that we are in. That we can just stop doing the wrong that we are doing, turn around to do what is good, and walk with God moving forward. And while the natural consequences of our sins and bad choices may still haunt us, the Lord promises to help us endure, if we only come back to Him.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
So how do we practically follow this advice? Well for Catholics, we can avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can go to confession where we could receive not just forgiveness of our sins, but also godly advice and guidance from our priest. For non-Catholic Christians, we can pray to God, confess our sins to Him, and humbly repent. We should also promise to stop committing the offenses we have prayed to Him about.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
And as we count on His forgiveness we should also do what we can to live a life that abides in Him. We ought to walk in His ways and nurture a loving and intimate relationship with Him. We must continue praying during our daily quiet time, regularly read, study and reflect on His words, and worship Him alongside other believers.
When we keep our lives centered to Him, we will be preoccupied in doing the right things. We will have less interest in running after worldly pursuits. When we know more about Him, our will will be aligned to His. We can also receive His perfect peace. Yes, the peace that transcends circumstances, and the contentment that comes with it.
"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."
2 Corinthians 7:10
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 1 Samuel 12:13-25 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you feeling lost? How do you intend to head in the right direction?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for giving me the chance to follow you once again. For the forgiveness and the redemption that you offer. Grant me the humility to come to you in repentance my Lord, so I could start my life on a new slate, and live a life that is pleasing to you. Amen.
