In Jeremiah 8, God asked the prophet a significant question. He said, “Why, then, have the people of Jerusalem gone the wrong way and not turned back? They believe their own lies and refuse to turn around and come back.”
What would happen if we personalized the question? “Why, then, has Karen, Mary, John, Gordon, etc….gone the wrong way and not turned back? She/he believes her/his own lies and refuses to turn around and come back?”
Suddenly, the question is not about those people who didn’t make a u-turn thousands of years ago, but it’s about you and me today. What would it look like if you made a you-turn? We’ll call it a you-turn because turning around is only important to one person…you. If your friends don’t want to turn around, pray for them. God is helping people make u-turns all day long. He’s been providing signs along the highways of our lives that say in big letters, “Wrong way! Stop! Turn around!” Some of us see the signs and just keep going. Some of us imagine that we misread the sign, or that it must be meant for someone else. Some of us just hope for a beam of light to fall from the sky and stop us in our tracks, blinding us so we can no longer move forward, telling us to stop where we are. It worked for Paul as he walked on the road to Damascus. Not only did he see the light, but he heard the voice of Jesus asking the same question we see in Jeremiah, “Why are you ignoring me, why are you spreading lies, why don’t you turn around?
When you make a you-turn, you turn your life over to the One who knows exactly where you’re meant to go. You will never be lost, or lonely, or able to fall for the craziness around you. You’ll be a light that will beam across the world to those who still walk in darkness. You’ll have a purpose and an opportunity to see God’s hand at work all around you.
Some people follow the crowd because they must, they feel obligated to do so. Some people follow the leader, never looking to see where that leader might go. Some people make a u-turn, turning back to God, knowing that He alone is sovereign, and He alone is in control. Don’t wait for God to ask why you didn’t turn around. Stop and listen for His voice. Call out and tell Him you are ready to walk with Him, ready to become all you are meant to be.
Turn around, dear one, and come back!