What must one experience before they bend their knee? Whether we are a Christian or not we still struggle with our independent ways. Although we may not think it, sometimes our actions portray that we think our ways are higher than Gods, as we follow our “own” path, whatever feels good or makes sense at the time, even if it is sinning, and not beneficial. God cares about us too much for that. So He will draw us to Him with whatever means necessary.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

Isaiah 59:2

Repentance is Key

Sometimes repentance isn’t as clear as you would think. Sometimes we don’t even think we are sinning, but we feel distant from God. Maybe you never asked Jesus into your heart, so the idea of repentance seems foreign. If you haven’t, repentance is one of the first steps. God says “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So one must acknowledge that no matter how “good” they think they are, they are still in need of a Savior, because our “good” is still not good enough to get to Heaven.

True repentance isn’t just repenting from a few select areas of weakness; it marks a change of mind, changing your mindset to focus on the things of God, which leads to a change in actions and a turning away from sin. It’s allowing your mind to be transformed by Christ welcoming him to live in you and through you.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Ways God Draws us to Him

Compassion

God knows our specific needs, and sometimes He reminds us He cares by offering us grace and healing in the midst of our pain.

• Healed a lame man(Acts 3)

He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Acts 3:8

• Forgiving an adulterous woman, and protecting her.
  A crowd had gathered to stone her for her sin of adultery, but Jesus said, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” And the crowd slowly left. (John 8)

Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

John 8:10-11

Revealing our Sin

Sometimes we can convince ourselves that we can hide a sin so deep down in our heart, that nobody will ever discover our secret shame. But no matter how sneaky we think we are, God sees it all. Every crevice and facet of our life, and sometimes He will draw out those hidden things to remind us of our need for Him.

• A woman met Jesus at a well. He revealed to her that He knew she had five past husbands, and currently was with a man she was not married to. (John 4)

 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”

John 4:39

• Nathaniel confronts David about killing Uriah, and having an affair with Uriah’s wife. (2 Samuel 12)

 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

2 Samuel 12:13

Trials

The pain of trials, they are a burden all of us bare at one time or another. Sometimes they are for spiritual growth other times they are to rechannel our focus from a destructive behavior.

If you are going through a trial, pause. Assess your life, are you doing things that please God, or are you willfully sinning? Are we walking away from God and wondering why our life and heart is filled with pains and trials? Sometimes we have to stop claiming it as coincidence and evaluate if our life and heart is right before God.

• Due to Jonah’s disobedience he was swallowed by a whale. God had desired him to tell a message to Nineveh, yet, instead of obeying, Jonah decided to flee in the complete opposite direction. (Jonah 2)

You hurled me into the depths into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; …“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’

Jonah 2:3-4, 7, 9

• Israelites wander in the desert for forty years.

Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Nehemiah 32:11

For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.

Hebrews 12:6

What will cause your knee to bend? Hopefully it won’t take a trial for you to turn to God and repent. Hopefully it will be just the mere knowledge of your sin, or God’s constant love that will draw you to Him. May we evaluate our hearts so that we don’t have to learn the hard way that God is who He says He is; a loving God who wants to draw us to Him, because that is where our hope and salvation lie.

Photo Credit: by Geralt