When [the Egyptians] cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. So the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship … they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them. — Isaiah 19:20-22
There is a pattern in human history. Sin and rebellion followed by judgment and pain. Pain ends arrogance and awakens humility and dependence. Then God sends repentance. But notice the path it takes: God makes Himself known.
We need to stop here. If God doesn’t make Himself known, then nothing good will follow. You cannot worship One you do not know. You will not serve One you do not worship.
We want sinners to repent, and we sometimes think that means they must stop sinning and start doing good. Sorry, folks, that isn’t going to happen. Repentance comes when God is revealed to us in a way we can experience. (Taste and see that the LORD is good.) Our hearts are purified by the truth of who God is and who we are. When we encounter Him who is Truth, sin doesn’t make sense any more. It loses its luster because we have embraced far better.
Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend seven sharpening my ax." The discovery of God sharpens the ax. After that, the impossible becomes easy.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries?
Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace,
wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries.
Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being
restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in
restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and
encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord,
and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this
happens as a result of one person’s efforts, but rather this is God’s
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partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with
the Lord. That’s how the supernatural happens.
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