Turn Us O Lord!
Scripture Reading: Lamentations 5:19–21
“Thou, O Lord, remainest forever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us forever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.”
Turn Us O Lord!
Father God, we thank you because you are a great God. You are always on our side. Lord, you have made it clear that we need to be turned. Today, we ask that you turn us to you.
Turn us from our wicked ways, so that we will not die.
“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye,” Ezekiel 18:32. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?,” Ezekiel 33:11.
Lord, we thank you because you are a loving God. You show us your desire, and you show us how to accomplish your desire. Lord, we desire to turn, but we need your help. You can do all things. Your throne, your power, and your authority live from generation to generation. Renew our days as of old. Father, be not angry with us. Deliver us from our destruction. Deliver us from the sin that easily besets us.
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart,” Psalm 32.
Beloved, God has told us to turn from our evil ways and deeds. We see here in Psalm 32 what God does for those who cry to Him with a pure heart. God can turn those who will acknowledge their sin to Him, those who will not hide their iniquity. Iniquity is consistent and persistent sin, sin that easily besets you. God will turn those around who confess their transgressions to Him. He will forgive the iniquity of their sin. When God forgives our iniquities, He enables us to become righteous and to be blessed. To be blessed means to be enabled to prosper. Yes, those whose transgressions are forgiven, those whose sins are covered, are those who are enabled to prosper.
I am sure God finds it amusing when we try to deceive Him, because He knows all things. There is nothing hid from His eye. There are many who are relating to God and man with hypocrisy. They may be smiling on the outside, but they are frowning on the inside. They talk to God and try to hide their sin. How can God put you in a category where He will not impute iniquity to you? Impute means to lay responsibility or blame. God is calling you to turn from your evil ways, to rid yourself of deceit in your spirit. How can God forgive your transgression and cover your sin? He does this when you acknowledge your sin. So, today I want to encourage you to get on your knees and acknowledge your sins to God. You know the sins that easily make you stumble, you know your iniquity; do not hide it from God. Confess your transgressions to the Lord so that He will forgive you, draw you near, and instruct you in the way to go.
Prayer Points:
O Lord, remove deceit from our spirit and in our relationship with you. Father have mercy on us. According to Lamentations, Father, turn us, O Lord, and let us be turned to you. living God, turn us to you and we shall be turned. Let this be our reality in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
