March 5 - Set Free

“…and turn from their wicked ways…” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Why does God instruct us, His people, to first humble ourselves, then pray, then earnestly seek His face before directing us to turn from our wicked ways? Is it possibly because, without humbling ourselves and praying and earnestly seeking His face, that we, His people who know better, have more difficulty turning from our wicked ways?

Sometimes we who call ourselves Christians can be experts at fooling ourselves. We can have such whitewashed outsides and such filthy insides. And sometimes we are so deceived that we can’t even see our own wickedness…or are unwilling to see it.

We tend to think that God’s judgment is a result of the wickedness of others — those ungodly, sinful people of the world — not us. But this instruction is to us. It’s our wickedness bringing His judgment. Unless we, His people, turn from our wicked ways, He will not heal our land.

Have we ever truly repented of our sins, asked for and received forgiveness, and forsaken those sins? We need to ask God Himself, who already knows all things, to search our hearts, show us our wicked ways, and enable us to turn from them.

Let’s ask God to reveal to us any unbelief, pride or flat-out disobedience that we may not even see lurking in the shadows of our heart and mind. Let’s also ask Him to shine His light on any “little, secret” sins we are trying to hide, so He can enable us to walk away in freedom, once and for all.

Today’s Action:

Let’s read Proverbs 5 together, asking the Lord to help us welcome His discipline and rejoice in His correction, because it alone can keep us from great destruction.

“For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.”

(Proverbs 5:21-23) NIV