REPENT, REPENT, REPENT!

And so ‘turn around’ Samuel admonishes; return to the one true God. Be counter-cultural, challenging, and sacrificial. “Return to the Lord with all your hearts…rid yourself of foreign gods…and commit yourselves to the Lord -- and serve him only…”

(1 Samuel 7:3)

One in eight teenagers now have persistent suicidal thoughts, and a third of those making a suicide attempt within 12 months of having the idea.

It’s critical that we make a U-Turn -- what scripture calls repentance -- and head in God’s direction.

Recognize and Address Stubbornness

Why Hosea describes Israel as stubborn heifer -- translated: a stubborn cow or stubborn mule (Hosea 4:16).

And Isaiah indicates Israel’s hardness and inflexibility was so intense that “…the sinews of [Israel’s] neck were iron [and Israel’s] forehead was bronze…” (Isaiah 48:4).

Move Toward Brokenness And Remorse

“…they confessed: “We have sinned against the Lord…”

(1 Samuel 7:6)

We don’t like confessing; we don’t like facing the sin, the bad stuff of life. But such vulnerability is critical to advancement.

And as they confessed, 1 Samuel 7 tells us, the Israelites “…drew water and poured it before the Lord…” (1 Samuel 7:6)

Let The Lord Refashion, And Restore You!

God kept restoring the Israelites. I mean every time the Israelites, poured out their lives, crying out to the Lord “…the Lord answered…” (1 Samuel

7:9), in amazing, miraculous ways. Translated: “…the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines…” (1 Samuel

7:13) – but the hand of the Lord was upon the Israelites -- because of their repentance -- because of their willingness to U-Turn toward the one true God.

“…I will restore…for you the years that the locust has eaten…And you shall…be satisfied -- and praise…the Lord, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you…And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am in the midst of Israel…that I, the Lord, am your God…” (Joel 2:25-27, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).

For God does desire to restore…for you the years that the locust has eaten…” (Joel 2:25, The Amplified Bible).