In Turning To Him

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matthew 3:2 (ESV)

This was the thunderous call of John the Baptist, the son of a priest from the lineage of Aaron. After centuries of divine silence, God was about to break in. The kingdom of heaven was drawing near, and John was the herald. His message was clear: repentance. But this repentance is not a shallow remorse or a mere pang of guilt. It is not just a feeling. True repentance is a decisive act—a turning, a reorientation of the soul from sin to God.

It’s the moment when you realize your path leads to destruction, and with all the urgency in your heart, you turn around and follow Christ. Repentance produces visible fruit, real transformation. It’s not just sorrow over sin; it’s a heart made new and a life bearing witness.

Five hundred years before John the Baptist, prophets Haggai and Zechariah pleaded with the people of God: “Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7). “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of Hosts, “and I will return to you” (Zechariah 1:3).

These prophets began their ministry to bring about the restoration of God’s people after 70 years of captivity. The destruction of Jerusalem and the downfall of the people of Judah were the results of their ancestors’ disobedience to the Lord.

Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel had pleaded with them, “Turn from your evil ways and deeds,” but they refused to listen to God’s voice. Haggai and Zechariah had a monumental mission: to inspire God’s people to rebuild after 70 years in exile. Jerusalem had been destroyed, and the people had been scattered, all because of their disobedience.

Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel had called out, “Turn from your evil ways,” but they didn’t listen. Yet when Haggai and Zechariah spoke, something amazing happened. The people took their message seriously and feared the Lord. Their obedience kick-started a wave of restoration. It wasn’t easy, but when they turned their hearts to God, He started with the most important thing: worship. From there, God began rebuilding their temple, their city, and their nation.

The bottom line: restoration begins when we turn to God. Haggai confronted the people’s misaligned priorities. They kept telling themselves it wasn’t the right time to rebuild the Lord’s house, even though the foundation was already there for fourteen years. God responded: “Is it a time for you to dwell in your paneled houses, while My house lies in ruins?”

What happens when we don’t put God first? “You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but you are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a bag with holes… You looked for much, but behold, it came to little” (Haggai 1:6, 9). God was shaking things up to get their attention. He even withheld rain and brought drought to help them see that true fulfillment comes only when He is our top priority.

When our priorities are disordered, we will never feel satisfied. We’ll keep working harder, trying to fill a void that only God can satisfy. If we put ourselves and our comforts ahead of building God’s Kingdom, we’ll keep coming up empty.

We might say, “It’s not the right time to serve, to lead a small group, to fast, or to give up what’s comfortable.” But let’s be honest—there will never be a perfect time. We live in a world full of distractions, a never-ending “vanity fair” that tempts us with shiny objects and steals our focus from God’s calling. The culture around us tells us to follow our desires, protect our comforts, and do what feels right. But God calls us to something bigger.

We often work tirelessly for our own goals, but end up with little to show for it because we neglect God’s work. The time to act is now! The time to turn to the Lord is now! We need to be all in, seeking Him with fasting and prayer, putting His Kingdom first.

“God, forgive me for putting my desires above Your will. Forgive me when I resist Your Word because it challenges my comfort zone. Forgive me for the excuses I make to avoid Your ways. Help me to turn fully to You and bear the fruit of genuine repentance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”