"IF YOU RETURN!"

Jeremiah 15:19-21                          (ESV)
"19 Therefore thus says the LORD: "IF YOU RETURN", I will restore you, and you shall stand before ME. If you utter what is precious, and NOT WHAT IS WORTHLESS, you shall be as MY mouth. They shall turn to you, BUT YOU SHALL NOT TURN TO THEM.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL OVER YOU, for I AM with you to SAVE YOU AND DELIVER YOU, declares the LORD.
21 "I WILL DELIVER YOU" out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless."



Recently I was at church and my cellular devices were trying to run off of the facilities WiFi Network.  However, I was unable to make my phone and tablet work correctly and had to switch to LTE and use my data services.  It is amazing how well something works when it is connected to a viable source of intelligence!  Later on that morning it occurred to me that many times we try to say that GOD is leading us to do something when it is really our selfish desires that are driving our decisions.  No matter how hard we try to make things work out, we run into difficulties because GOD isn't in it!  We aren't connected to the REAL SIGNAL!

We MUST connect to GOD, the REAL SIGNAL, when the world is trying to interfere with false signals.  Else, we risk letting the enemy take control of our direction.  When we get connected to the REAL SIGNAL, HE says I WILL DELIVER YOU out of the hands of the wicked!  We can continually attempt to find GOD where there isn't a signal, but like my cellphone, when we are in tune with with The Tower (Proverbs 18:10) our devices will operate flawlessly!

GOD tells us in Ezekiel 15:20 "for I AM with you to SAVE YOU AND DELIVER YOU", but HE needs us to follow HIS lead!  We cannot expect GOD to be with us if we are not obeying HIS leadership.  Ezekiel 15:19 begins with the words "IF YOU RETURN"?  Apparently HE makes HIS promise conditional on our returning to HIM?  Sure, HE will never leave us nor forsake us, but if we continually seek our own desires we are apt to be rewarded appropriately.  Psalms 24:17 says "When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles".  I'm not sure what the unrighteous receive when they cry out?

Connecting to a false signal can be a very frustrating and humbling thing.  There is nothing more discouraging than to realize you are fighting a battle where your perceived losses outweigh your immediate gains.  GOD's Word is very plain, for HE promises "IF YOU RETURN" I WILL DELIVER YOU!  However, when we are connected to HIM we can rely on HIS promises!!  Keep in mind, GOD doesn't say HE might think about delivering us "IF YOU RETURN" to HIM.  HE says I WILL DELIVER YOU "IF YOU RETURN"!!!