ODJ: true repentance
January 13, 2010
They turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord (v.19).
READ: Jeremiah 26:18-19
Today, my son lied to me. The specifics were minor, but his attempts to weasel out of the offense without coming clean caused me concern. One author, writing about our vague “confessions,” said that she imagines “God as a wily writing teacher [leaning] across the table and [saying], not at all gently, ‘Could you possibly be troubled to say what you mean?’”
The Bible characters who seem to always be in the middle of the fray, calling God’s people on the carpet for their sins, naming names—making pretty much everyone uncomfortable—are the prophets. Everyone liked the prophet, so long as he or she predicted blessing and good days ahead. The true prophet, however, was God’s mouthpiece—and God is about the business of uncovering hidden places of rebellion, dishonesty, and idolatry.
On one occasion, God had Micah tell Israel that because of their stubborn refusal to obey, they would be “plowed like an open field” (Micah 3:12). Dire words.
How do we respond when God points out our wayward ways? Do we wiggle and squirm and offer excuses about why we acted so poorly? Do we hide? Do we slough off our responsibility, refusing to own up to our sin?
King Hezekiah and Israel took the harder path, the one that leads to humility and repentance. “They turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord” (Jeremiah 26:19). No bartering. No wrangling. Just a straight, “I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
The old confession of the church has it right: “Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You. . . . We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.”
—Winn Collier
Why might you be tempted to waffle rather than simply repent? What do you need to bring to God in true repentance?
Tweet This
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it
RSS FeedRelated
being otherly
June 3, 2009 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too (v.4). READ: Philippians 2:1-11 John and Bessie Gonleh needed help. They had already endured John being gunned down by rebels in their native Liberia (he barely survived), years of disease-ridden refugee camps, and the death of three of [...]
ODJ: long commute
January 6, 2011 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs (v.3). READ: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 Michael Hanley traded an 8-minute commute to work for an 8-hour one. When his autoworker job in Wisconsin was phased out, he stayed with the company and took the only position available—in [...]
ODJ: salty flavor
June 30, 2011 You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless (v.13). READ: Matthew 5:13-16 In his book Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, George Barna reveals this interesting research statistic: [...]
ODJ: no fear
November 11, 2011 I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears (v.4). READ: Psalm 34:1-11 Imagine sashaying through life with no fear. One woman knows what it feels like to be fear-free. Researchers exposed her to snakes and spiders, led her through a haunted house, and showed [...]
Christian Courses
Day Of Discovery
Discover The Word
Discovery Series
Help For My Life
My Utmost For His Highest
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Journey
RBC Ministries
WarungSateKaMu
Manasociety
雅米
Why is it that I often catch myself attempting to get off the hook?