Turning away, and coming back

Put God first

• Thou shalt have no other gods before me

  Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

  Read it: Exodus 20:2-3

• Seek ye first the kingdom of God

  Jesus said

  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

  Read it: Matthew 6:33

• No man can serve two masters

  Jesus said

  No man can serve two masters: Matthew 6:24

  Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

  Read it: Matthew 6:24

• Thou hast left thy first love

  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelation 2:4

  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; Revelation 2:5

  Read it: Revelation 2:4-5

When people turned away

• Israel forsook the LORD

  And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, Judges 2:12

  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, Judges 2:14

  for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. Judges 2:18

  Read it: Judges 2:11-18

• Broken cisterns, that can hold no water

  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13

  Read it: Jeremiah 2:13

• Solomon's heart was turned away

  his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, 1 Kings 11:4

  And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, 1 Kings 11:9

  Read it: 1 Kings 11:4-11

• Jonah rose up to flee from the presence of the LORD

  But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, Jonah 1:3

  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah 1:17

  Read it: Jonah 1

• Peter denied him, and wept bitterly

  And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. Luke 22:57

  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Luke 22:62

  Read it: Luke 22:54-62

• Demas, having loved this present world

  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, 2 Timothy 4:10

  Read it: 2 Timothy 4:10

Coming back

• Return unto me, and I will return unto you

  Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:7

  Read it: Malachi 3:7

• Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you

  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. James 4:8

  Read it: James 4:8

• The son who came home

  Jesus said

  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, Luke 15:18

  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:20

  A parable Jesus told (15:11).

  Read it: Luke 15:11-24

• The word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time

  And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Jonah 3:1

  So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Jonah 3:3

  Read it: Jonah 3:1-3

• Peter: Lord, thou knowest that I love thee

  Peter said

  Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. John 21:17

  Jesus said

  Feed my sheep. John 21:17

  Read it: John 21:15-17

• Faithful and just to forgive

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

  Read it: 1 John 1:9

To think about

• Revelation 2:4 speaks of leaving "thy first love". Is there anything that has taken God's place first in your life?
• In Luke 15 the father ran to his son "when he was yet a great way off". What does that tell you about coming back to God?

Every verse here is the King James text, checked word for word before the site goes up. Tap a verse to read it in the Bible.