Turning to God is the Lord’s desire for every person. Some people turn to the Lord with the slightest whisper by the Holy Spirit, and others in desperation. Our sinful nature is not to turn to God but to pursue a selfish course in life. Like sheep, we need a Shepherd to care for, guide, and call us back when we wander. Our good shepherd is Jesus, who is our Lord and Savior.
Peter preached that true refreshment comes when we turn to the Lord. Acts 3:19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.[1] As we read in this passage, true repentance or change includes turning to the Lord, but what does this mean? When you reflect on your life, you can probably remember choices where you went in the wrong direction spiritually. We can’t go back to relive our lives, but we can repent or turn away from our sins and turn to God. Turning back to God is what repentance is all about.
Paul Called People in Athens to Turn to God
On his second missionary journey, Paul ministered to the people in Athens who did not know God and worshiped idols. As Paul spoke to these people, he pointed them to an altar inscribed to the unknown God. Paul told them who this unknown God is and that He made heaven and earth. The true God gives us life and everything we need. He also desires we seek after Him, and when we do, He lets Himself be found. Then Paul got to the heart of the situation as he told of Jesus’ resurrection and called the Athenians to turn to the true God.
Acts 17:30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”[2]
Something Happens When I Turn to God
Is the Lord calling you to turn back to Him today? As we turn back to the Lord, He desires us to live a lifestyle of being moldable like clay on the potter’s wheel. Do you feel the Lord’s loving hands upon your life? Our Savior loves to shape and mold us so we can fulfill His plan and purpose for our life.
To learn more about turning to God, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/empowered-far
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 3:19–20). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 17:30–32). Tyndale House Publishers.