Brain Dump

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

1. Humble Yourself.

⁶But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."^a]">[a]

⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:6-10

2. Pray

⁴¹"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Matthew 26:41

3. Seek His face

¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes
and showers righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12

4. Turn from sin.

¹² "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

Joel 2:12-13

I went to Fellowship young adult gathering last night. Above is the summary of the message. After we went through all of this... my humble little self (uh hem) was like "Oh I got this... I've done this before, humility, prayer, seeking him, turning from sin. Been there, done that. I can do it again."

THEN....

²I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. ⁵Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Not so fast...little Leah. I have humbled myself before, I have prayed, I have sought, and I have turned away from sin. But honestly, what is humility when I say, "been there, done that." That is the ABSENCE of humility. And where is my love? in the words of Black Eyed Peas... "Where is THE love?" my passion that once burned so strongly... my constant dependence on him to get me through each and every day. I "have forsaken my first love" The English Standard Version says "you have abandoned the love you had at first." No matter my goodness and kindness, without love, I am nothing. I've got to get back to my first love, without him, I am nothing.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. " 1 Corinthians 13:1

leah.