I grew up in the church. I’m pretty sure I was at church when I was 2 weeks old.
The church I attended until I left for college was not a worshipful church but a Bible teaching church. Much of what I know about the Bible, I learned during those years.
For most of my life, I always dreaded reading the Prophets of the Old Testament. All the verses I read were what used to be called a “downer”. Nothing was uplifting in these books. My perception was they were only books of doom and gloom. They are, but there is so much more to them than I learned as a child.
Our Wednesday night Bible study is currently reading the book of Isaiah. We are about one fourth of the way through and, much to my surprise, there is also a lot of hope in this book.
Yes, the Israelites were not following God. Yes, they had to endure several exiles because of their behavior. BUT – time after time, God gave them the opportunity to change their ways and follow Him. He told them what He was going to do and encouraged, even begged them, to change their ways. They just wouldn’t listen.
So many times in our lives, God tells us that we are doing the wrong thing. If we are wise, we will listen to Him, but so often we ignore the warnings that He gives us. As a result, we have to face the consequences of our actions, just as the Israelites did.
So what thing is God telling you that you need to change? Is it behavior, a way of thinking or doing something you don’t want to do?
If you listen closely, God will always lead you in the right direction. God doesn’t often shout, but He is clear about what He wants. We just have to be willing to listen.