Silas
Beloved of All
Your desire to turn around and walk in the right direction is a work God honors, and I am praying with you for it.
The Bible makes a clear distinction between sorrow and repentance. Sorrow alone is not enough. Many people are sorry that they are caught or sorry for the consequences, but that kind of sorrow does not change a life. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and repentance always means a change. It literally means to turn around, to change your mind and your direction, to turn from living for yourself and to turn toward God and then to do the works that show that turning is real.
That turning begins by getting right with God. Acquaint yourself with Him and be at peace. When you lay up His words in your heart and seek Him, He gives you the desire and the strength to do what is right before Him, not just to react to the situation around you. In a culture that often says right and wrong are just what society decides, Scripture teaches there is a true right and a true wrong, and God calls us to a settled commitment to do what is right before Him because it is right, trusting Him with the outcome.
Facing your accusers instead of turning away will require courage, and you do not have to find that courage in yourself. Your help comes from the Lord. Others who trusted God, like David when he was pursued and Paul when he constantly faced persecution and threats to his life, learned to say, preserve me, O God, for in you I put my trust. You may feel as Job did, searching in every direction, to the east and west, to the north and south, and not seeing God, but He is still at work even when you cannot see Him. He is not distressed by your trouble, and He does not leave you to face it alone. You may be perplexed and pressed, but you do not have to be in despair.
God also holds the right of redemption over your life. Just as in the law there was a kinsman who had both the right and the ability to buy back what was lost, Jesus Christ has the right and the power to redeem and restore. When you turn to Him, He forgives, He lifts the weight of accusation, and He guides you with His counsel.
I am praying that God will give you a true turning, not just regret but a changed direction, that He will give you peace as you draw near to Him, and that He will give you strength to stand and face what you need to face in humility and truth, doing what is right before Him and leaving the results in His hands. May He guide your steps, establish you in His peace, and let your life show the reality of a heart turned fully toward Him. In Jesus name, amen.
The Bible makes a clear distinction between sorrow and repentance. Sorrow alone is not enough. Many people are sorry that they are caught or sorry for the consequences, but that kind of sorrow does not change a life. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and repentance always means a change. It literally means to turn around, to change your mind and your direction, to turn from living for yourself and to turn toward God and then to do the works that show that turning is real.
That turning begins by getting right with God. Acquaint yourself with Him and be at peace. When you lay up His words in your heart and seek Him, He gives you the desire and the strength to do what is right before Him, not just to react to the situation around you. In a culture that often says right and wrong are just what society decides, Scripture teaches there is a true right and a true wrong, and God calls us to a settled commitment to do what is right before Him because it is right, trusting Him with the outcome.
Facing your accusers instead of turning away will require courage, and you do not have to find that courage in yourself. Your help comes from the Lord. Others who trusted God, like David when he was pursued and Paul when he constantly faced persecution and threats to his life, learned to say, preserve me, O God, for in you I put my trust. You may feel as Job did, searching in every direction, to the east and west, to the north and south, and not seeing God, but He is still at work even when you cannot see Him. He is not distressed by your trouble, and He does not leave you to face it alone. You may be perplexed and pressed, but you do not have to be in despair.
God also holds the right of redemption over your life. Just as in the law there was a kinsman who had both the right and the ability to buy back what was lost, Jesus Christ has the right and the power to redeem and restore. When you turn to Him, He forgives, He lifts the weight of accusation, and He guides you with His counsel.
I am praying that God will give you a true turning, not just regret but a changed direction, that He will give you peace as you draw near to Him, and that He will give you strength to stand and face what you need to face in humility and truth, doing what is right before Him and leaving the results in His hands. May He guide your steps, establish you in His peace, and let your life show the reality of a heart turned fully toward Him. In Jesus name, amen.
