How can we humble ourselves and receive God's grace?

We all know the feeling. That feeling of being so far away from God. Maybe you've just been going through the motions of your faith, or maybe you've stopped going to church altogether. Either way, you know you're not living your best life for Christ. And you don't really know how to get back on track.

If so, this article is for you. In this chapter of Isaiah 59, the Lord begins by presenting his condition to the people (vv. 1-8). The remnant recognizes Him in humiliation (vv. 9-15). Then the Lord intervenes, all alone, in deliverance and judgment, and makes a perpetual covenant with the Residue. The Lord wants you to come back to him, to humble yourself because his grace is available in the name of Jesus Christ. Here's how you can do it.

1) Recognize your sin
The first step in humility is to recognize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. It's easy to point the finger at others and their shortcomings, but we must remember that we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). So take time to reflect on your own life and ask God to reveal to you the areas in which you need to repent.

2) Repent and turn away from your sin
Once you've recognized your sinful state, the next step is to repent and turn away from your sinful behavior. This means making a decision to change your habits and live by God's Word rather than your fleshly desires (Galatians 5:16-17). It's not enough to say "I'm sorry" - you have to make an effort to change your behavior. Otherwise, you'll soon find yourself right back where you started.

3) Seek forgiveness from those you have wronged
If you've sinned against another person, it's important to seek their forgiveness too (Matthew 5:23-24). This involves both apologizing for your evil deeds and making things right if possible (e.g., returning stolen goods, repairing damage, etc.) Once again, it's not enough to say "I'm sorry" - true repentance will result in a change of behavior as well as a desire to make amends for your evil deeds.

4) Ask God to forgive you
Of course, the most important thing is to ask God himself for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). To do this, we need to confess our sins to him and ask for his forgiveness (Proverbs 28:13). We can trust that he will forgive us, for he has promised it in his Word (1 John 2:1-2). All we have to do is humble ourselves before him and ask his forgiveness with a sincere heart.

If you feel distant from God, don't despair.
He is always ready and willing to forgive us when we humble ourselves before Him and turn away from our sins. All you need to do is follow these four steps: acknowledge your sin, repent and turn away from your sin, ask forgiveness from those you've offended, and ask forgiveness from God. Then step back and watch how he restores your relationship with him!

God bless you all!