Do stuff with and for your neighbors
Turning From and Turning To
When raising a two or three year old you may find the most common word in your vocabulary is, "No!" As a parent it can be wearying to follow your child around, continually delineating what is out of bounds. "No - don't touch the vase; no - don't touch the hot burner; no - don't pick up the dog poop; no - don't step into the intersection ..." the list seems endless. To make matters worse, often the child learns to use the word for her/his own purposes. "No - I won't come; no - I won't eat; no - I won't share; no - I won't stop; no - I won't start; no, no, no. These can be very trying times for everyone involved.
When John the Baptist emerged as a powerful prophet, his primary message was one of, "No." He said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:3) He called the people to stop the wrong ways they were thinking and behaving. This "No; stop and turn around" was necessary as a kind of precursor of the next stage God had in store. God had sent John to prepare people to notice and listen to Jesus. His primary message was to stop what they were doing, and to wait for the next thing God was going to do.
Sometimes God is calling us to stop and wait. Turning from thoughts and/or actions, however, can be very difficult if we don't know with what to replace them. "No" has always been a hard word, but sometimes that's all we have to go on ... "Just stop and wait." This kind of repentance requires a great deal of trust. It requires hope that God really cares, and that He will make things more clear in the future.
When Jesus' ministry became prominent, His message more clearly expressed the rest of the story. He called people to stop and turn just as John had; but He also described that the Kingdom of Heaven was within/among them. (Luke 17:21) Jesus' life, teaching, death and resurrection released the Kingdom of Heaven on earth as it had never been known or experienced. He was the "Yes" portion of the message or repentance. People everywhere were (and are) to turn from sinfulness and embrace the life of Christ - as hope, model, power and filling.
Most often when we experience a warning from Scripture, the Holy Spirit or a caring friend, God also makes His better path clear; He wants us to "turn from" and "turn to." We are inspired to turn because of the clear hope of something better.
Is God highlighting any areas of your life that need serious change? Can you see/understand the "from" and the "to" aspects of His message? If so, embrace them both, and turn boldly! If, however, all you can sense in the message of "No" or "Stop," do all that you can to obey - and simply wait in faith for His next command. Those who wait in hope for God's next instructions will be mightily strengthened. (Isaiah 40:31)
Turning - and often waiting - with you,
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