Turn

“if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven”  2 Chronicles 7:14

Turn – Here’s today’s question:  How many times do you think this word for turning around is used in the Old Testament?  Here’s a hint.  It is a very important word.  God constantly reminds us about how important it is.  All of our responsibility toward God is summarized in this word.  Now that you know this, you won’t be surprised to discover that it is the twelfth most frequent word, used 1050 times.

Shub is a magical word in the best spiritual sense.  It is a word that will allow you to change your future.  Forget incantations, mystical formulae and super powers.  Shub is the only word in all existence that guarantees to change your destiny.  Why?  Because it means, “to turn away from evil and to turn toward good”.  It is the summary of all repentance.  If shuv is what you are all about, God guarantees that the path you were traveling will be radically altered.  You have a new future.

Of course, shuv also implies that if you have not “turned”, your future is also guaranteed.  It will be the fulfillment of self.  You will be left with exactly what you wanted – I, me, me, mine.  Just the selfish you with no one else.  Hell is simply the fulfillment of our desire to be god, without any ability to make it happen.

(Re)turn, says God.  Come back to Life.  Turn away from the path of death and turn toward Me.  Turn around.  Go the other way.  On Life’s real highway, you will never see a sign that says, “No U turn”.  All of God’s signs say, “U turn right now!”

Just remember this one thing.  Your car can’t go in both directions at the same time.  Neither can you.  Shuv means abandoning one direction completely and going the opposite way. 

How’s your driving?