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	*If You, Then* God**


If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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. II Chronicles 7:14


Not many days ago, a young lady sat in our office and poured out the hurts of her heart as she enumerated the problems she and her husband were having: marital, financial and spiritual. While she talked, I made some notes. We then reviewed the list together as I asked what efforts she and her husband had made. Despite several attempts to resolve each issue, she ended with the comment, "But nothing's working. Everything we do backfires." As she contemplated her list, she added, "We love each other. We love the Lord. We've tried everything we know." Then I asked, "Everything? Something's missing on the side that shows what the two of you have attempted to do. Can you think of what else should be on here?" When she looked back up at me and shrugged her shoulders, I asked her, "You've got 'going to church, paying your tithes, creating a budget, spending time with each other, seeking the advice of friends, talking to each other, cooling off', but where's prayer? It's not on here. Did you just forget to include it here?" "No," came the response. "We just wanted to try to work things out for ourselves, first."

And therein lies the core of most the problems we encounter in our lives: we don't communicate with our heavenly Father FIRST! We use Him as a lawyer, to get us out of the messes we make when if we would simply learn to put Him FIRST in ALL things about our lives, we would have so many fewer messes! The Word of God tells us that we are to ...Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness... Matthew 6:33. Our heavenly Father already knows what we need! According to Matthew 6:25,26, those things are: What we eat What we drink What we wear Read it for yourself. Verses 27-32 tell us: Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Look again at that very last verse: for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of ALL these things. Jesus was trying to get us to see that NOTHING should come before us seeking the *Kingdom of God and His* righteousness. Instead of us trying to grab all the material possessions that we possibly can, at the expense of our relationship with our heavenly Father, we need to remember that God already knows what we need. Of course, there is usually a vast difference in what we need and what we want and the scripture doesn't say He will supply our wants, but our needs**. We aren't content with having our needs met; we insist on getting what we want, by whatever means we have to use to do so!
*If You, Then* God**
We used to have a Labrador Retriever, named "Gracie". She had allergies and could eat only certain things. If she ate anything else, she broke out in hives, and was then miserable until medicine could reverse the situation. Like so many times I can recall in my own life, Gracie wanted what she should NOT have--even when us withholding it from her was for her own good! Even though she had been trained to not beg, she could give such sad, "You must not love me or you would let me have my way" looks. Sound familiar? Ever sulked because God didn't give you what you wanted, when you wanted it? I'll admit it, I have. You might say, "Well, she's a dog--she doesn't understand." Good point! That means there's even less excuse for us humans who are supposed to be creatures with the ability to reason and understand! Yet, we refuse to let go of those things that bind us, or we insist on indulging in things that are harmful to our spiritual existence--then we sit around and whine, moan and groan when the pay-off arrives! We refuse to put God FIRST, then "wonder" how we manage to wind up in the messes that we do! It's not a mystery--we just refuse to admit the truth to ourselves about what we are doing!
*If You, Then* God**
You see, all through the Word of God, we find, "If you, THEN GOD". If we were honest with ourselves, we would be appalled to realize the number of times we insist on doing it backwards--we want God to move first, THEN we will respond! We insist on operating in direct opposition to the Will of God! God has a divine order and it is simply, *IF YOU, THEN* GOD. We want all the promises in the Bible, yet they are empty to us because we are unwilling to do what WE are supposed to do to obtain them! Let's read what the Lord told the children of Israel: So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea...And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter...And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes**, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15: 22-26.
Even when we've made a mess of our lives, if we will just humble ourselves before God and turn back to Him, look at what He says to us: But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Deuteronomy 4:29-31. You saw it there, right? If we will seek the Lord our God with ALL our heart and ALL our soul, we shall (not just might, but SHALL!) find Him. If we will turn to the Lord our God and be obedient unto His voice, He will NOT forsake us! Is that not bountiful mercy? Even when we have turned away from Him, if we will turn back to Him, He will not forsake us nor destroy us!
*If You, Then* God**
Read Leviticus 26:3-13 to see reward after reward after reward listed if God's people were willing to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments. Then, read verses 14-39 to see the consequences when they didn'tt! Go to Deuteronomy 28:1-14 for a detailed description of how the Lord promised to pour out His blessings upon His children if they would just hearken unto Him. However, verses 15-68 contain one of the most explicit warnings issued in the entire Bible--they were laid out in detail for those who turned away from God. It all boils down to simply, If you, then God. Here's another example: Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other Gods, which ye have not known. Deuteronomy 11:26-28. My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Proverbs 2:1-9 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14,15.
*If You, Then* God**
See? In all aspects of my life, it MUST BE If I, then God. I cannot wait for someone to forgive me first--I must forgive them BEFORE God will forgive me. If I am obedient unto God, THEN He will do that which I need done. But I've got to do what I'm supposed to do FIRST, which includes putting God first. The only way I can be obedient unto Him is to make Him Lord and Master over ALL of my life, in ALL areas of my life. He MUST come first in all that I do--I must FIRST be obedient unto Him. If I, then God: If you, then God.

Well, all of THAT was in "Old Testament Times". REALLY? Well, I guess THIS was for the "Old NEW Testament Times" then wasn't it: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:7-10. There it is again: *If I, if you, if all of us--THEN* God.** T-O-D-A-Y !! TODAY!
*If You, Then* God**
Even in one of the most often-quoted and well-known scripture passages of the Bible, we find "If you, then God": That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9,10. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9. See, it's not "automatic"--it requires something from us FIRST. First, WE confess, THEN He forgives. It's truly one of the hardest lessons to learn there is, and even then, we must apply a strict discipline within ourselves to do it. It is normal and natural for us to try to work things out for ourselves. Certainly, our salvation, our relationship with our heavenly Father is interactive--WE must actively participate. But the ONLY way to be a success in all we do is for us to do what we are supposed to do FIRST. Then and ONLY THEN can we expect to reap the blessings of the Lord. Just as we must put Him FIRST in our lives, we must put Him FIRST in our lives, FIRST. Get it? *If You, Then* God**
(all emphasis on scriptures, such as bold, underline or uppercase, is mine) "If You, Then God" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes. All Rights Reserved

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