Do you know how to repent and turn back?

Sometimes it’s obvious we need to turn back. We’ve gotten ourselves into sin. We took our eyes off of Jesus and desired after something else. Maybe we even got it and that’s when we realized it didn’t satisfy the way we imagined and we know we need to turn back to God who can meet all our needs.

The prodigal son came to his senses when he was desiring to eat pig food. Sometimes we have to fall pretty low before we wake up and realize we need to run back to our Father.

Sometimes it’s not as obvious that we need to turn back. We might be reading our Bibles every day and serving in the church. But that doesn’t mean we’re walking in the Spirit and living out each day with Jesus by our side.

One sure sign of that kind of slipping away, when there is no obvious sin, is if our quiet times are boring and seem worthless, aren’t adding anything to your life except getting that box checked off.

Does the Bible put you to sleep? That’s not right. Does what you read in the Bible seem meaningless? That’s not right. Does it seem like you’ve read it all and there’s nothing new in the Bible for you? That’s not right. Or do you even read it and think God’s pretty awful for killing all those women and children? That’s not right.

When we realize we need to turn back, Deuteronomy 4 tells us what we need to do. Seek. “Seek the Lord and you will find Him.”

That’s a command and a promise. You have to seek. You have to pursue. You have to not give up.

Picture seeking for something, being on a quest, going through woods, climbing mountains, crossing rivers. It takes perseverance and diligence to seek.

Seeking is not a quick glance. It’s not an, “Oh well, I tried.”

He promises to be found, so you seek until you find Him. That’s an act of faith.

But the reward is freedom from the sin that we thought bound us and a life of joy from daily fellowship with Jesus.