Receiving What You Asked For

We are going to receive what we are due. When we do something wrong in this world, we are accountable to the consequences of our actions. Yes, we may be forgiven for our sin by God, but we are still accountable to punishment according to man. It is about our choice though that leads to our forgiveness by God. We choose Him over man and He continues to provide for and bless us as heirs to heaven.

“¹⁹For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” – Romans 1:19 (ESV)

We know God because He has revealed Himself to us. He has shown us who He is and what He does and gives us love that we do not deserve. And yet…

“²¹For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” and “²⁹They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³²Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” – Romans 1:21 & 29-32 (ESV)

Even as we/they know/knew God, the choice is to go against Him. The choice to follow the world and not the LORD runs rampant in the world, even today as before. We are slaves to the instant gratification of the now and continue to do and approve others to do those things that are destructive to ourselves and the relationship we have with the Father.

“²⁸And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” – Romans 1:28 (ESV)

As such, The LORD gives us up to our desires and allows for our destruction. We make the choice to follow ourselves and God allows us to follow our choice. Our choice is asking for the consequences and as such we receive just what we ask for. The LORD will be right there with us waiting for our turn to Him and away from the destructive things, but He will allow us to take on the destructive things and the consequences of them until we choose Him.

What are you choosing? Are you choosing today those things that are giving you instant gratification without thought of the consequences? What if you were to choose the LORD and His ways instead, knowing that we will receive what we ask for?

The LORD Will Come and Stay

What does it take for the LORD to come?

“¹³When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴if 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 7:13-14 (ESV)

We have to earnestly “pray and seek” Him and His Face and “turn from their wicked ways” and then the LORD will come. So it is on us to get the LORD here. It is up to me and my full dependence on Him regardless of the circumstances. I am in charge of turning to the LORD and away from that which is evil. The LORD is always within earshot of me, and will come when I need Him, I only need to call on Him.

I think that we understand that part. Call on the LORD and He will come. But what is it that gets Him to stay with us. Well, it is the humbling of ourselves and surrendering to Him.I can and should call on Him when I need Him, yet it is up to me to reach out to Him and surrender to His glory for Him to come and stay.

“¹⁵Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. ¹⁶For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time” – 2 Chronicles 7:15-16 (ESV)

When I have devoted myself to the LORD, He will come and stay with me. Not just in earshot, but will be there walking with me for my entire journey in this world. I will have Him there to fend off the evil. He will comfort me and guide me and carry me and provide for me and bless me and fully ensure that I am taken care of in this world. It is up to me to turn to Him and away from evil and surrender to Him and he will come and stay with me.

What are you doing to get the LORD to come and stay? Are you keeping Him just within earshot? What if you were to surrender to Him so that He comes and walks with you, comforting you, guiding you, carrying you, providing for you, and blessing you?

Turn to One Another

The LORD is coming. This much is certain. I know that it is as the LORD has told me so in His Word. There will be death and destruction and all of the evil will be vanquished at His hand. Those who have turned to Him and accepted the salvation gift in their hearts will be spared this destruction. I will be turned to comfort in that time.

“⁵Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” – Malachi 4:5-6 (ESV)

I will not have to figure out where to turn for comfort, the LORD will take care of that. He will send the one to turn me. I will recognize the time to turn and will do so, to where they will comfort me and I will comfort them. I know that the verse above indicates fathers to children and children to fathers, yet I chose to believe that the LORD will ensure that the turning is to the one who will comfort and not specifically fathers and/or children. Just look at the verses below.

“¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” – Luke 1:17-18 (ESV)

The thing is, we will be turned to one another for the comfort that will be needed in that time. We are not meant to be alone. We should be in community with one another for that comfort. I know that I am grateful for the men I study God’s Word with. Where we are together intimately for about 90 minutes a week, we can turn to one another for comfort any time. We are a community of believers and that community is strong in the LORD.

The LORD knows that we need comfort. He has sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper and comfort while He prepares our place in heaven. And to go along with the Holy Spirit, He has provided us the community of believers to turn to as well. We must turn to one another for our comfort and/or when they need comfort themselves.

Where do you turn when you are in need of comfort? Are you turning to solitude to just deal with it? What if you were to turn to a community of others who believe as you do for comfort and love in your time of need?