Rudyard Kipling penned the poem, If. The word "if" is important. In II Chronicles, it says "If My People..." It doesn't say all people, it says "My People". Some would say that it's relavent only to that time period. However, I disagree. We are His People, are we not?

The Promises of God are conditional. "If this happens, then..." It's all over the Bible. But know that God's Prophesy is unconditional. Heard of Global Warming? It's going to get hotter than that! No matter what God said He will do, He will do.

Humble yourselves. God lives among the humble. We have to be obedient. Ever minister to someone and be smacked with how flawed you are? This might discourage us, but The Lord wants us to know He's proud of our obedience. He didn't call us to be weak; He called us to be meek. How many examples are there in how submitting to the One You Trust turn good people into Great People? Are we to be humble to the enemy? No! We are to be bold against the enemy, but meek in the Presence of The Lord.

Imagine what it must have been like for soldiers of the past who faced the prospect of surrender. If they surrendered, what might happen? If they surrender, they would have to completely give up everything. They may even be killed. We don't have trust in the enemy that we're surrendering to.

When we surrender to Christ, we surrender to someone we trust. If you want to gain victory in life, you must completely and unconditionally surrender to God.

"If" is powerful. It implies that we have a choice. Finish this sentence: "If I were to fully yield to God, I would..." Think about how you sentence ends. If you are truly alive in your Christian walk, that sentence never ends. More and more are added to it until you draw your last breath. But, what are you holding on to? What keeps you from adding to this sentence now? Doesn't it imply disobendience if we aren't always added to the sentence?

Understand that God wants to be Our God. Do you have problems? Bring it to Him. "But, I've brought so many to him!" Bring them to Him. He wants to be Our God!

Live life to avoid the "If onlys..." If you operate under an "If only" principle, you are trying to change the past. If you keep that up, you'll only have regrets. God wants you to live in the present and the future. Don't wait until a funeral to talk to others about your walk and how Christ and eternity can change them too. It is an uncomfortable to discuss. When does it ever become comfortable? God wants you to face the "Ifs".