Who has not had the experience of resolving again and again to turn away from some evil habit, and yet finding the thing asserting itself just the same?
The resolution was no stronger than we were, and was of no force against the evil. Putting confidence in the resolution led to the neglect which Daniel confessed in his prayer, "Yet we did not make our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities." (Daniel 9:13)
The turning point is reached when we have learned our helplessness by turning and resolving, and have put up the petition, "Turn us unto You, O Lord, and we shall be turned." (Lamentations 3:21)
The Lord does not reserve the blessing until we have put away iniquity; He blesses that it may be put away. "Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, turning away everyone of you from his iniquities." (Acts 3:26)--Present Truth, January 18, 1894.