Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
—Acts 3:19 (KJV)
I'm not sure what we fear about repentance. Repentance is turning around our hearts and behaviors to align with God's will, but that's where God's refreshment comes into our lives. God will not only lovingly receive us when we repent; he will also redeem us and remake us. But that repentance is often so hard for us to do. We get stuck in old patterns of destructive and addictive behavior. We don't want to admit that our way is the wrong way. We even can believe Satan's deceptive lies are better than God's loving counsel. We sometimes use self-deprecating thoughts to defeat the Spirit's work in ourselves, so we succumb to Satan's lies. So let's come clean, confess our sins, and entirely turn our lives back to God. If we will, we will find God and his truly refreshing presence!
Holy and righteous Father, I am unsure why I so doggedly hold on to some of my "pet" sins. Part of me wants to break free of these stumbling blocks, but part of me doesn't. I need your help in turning myself entirely over to you. Please send your healing, cleansing, and refreshing power through the Holy Spirit to help me as I commit to fully and completely turning my life over to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—Acts 3:19 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
I'm not sure what we fear about repentance. Repentance is turning around our hearts and behaviors to align with God's will, but that's where God's refreshment comes into our lives. God will not only lovingly receive us when we repent; he will also redeem us and remake us. But that repentance is often so hard for us to do. We get stuck in old patterns of destructive and addictive behavior. We don't want to admit that our way is the wrong way. We even can believe Satan's deceptive lies are better than God's loving counsel. We sometimes use self-deprecating thoughts to defeat the Spirit's work in ourselves, so we succumb to Satan's lies. So let's come clean, confess our sins, and entirely turn our lives back to God. If we will, we will find God and his truly refreshing presence!
My Prayer...
Holy and righteous Father, I am unsure why I so doggedly hold on to some of my "pet" sins. Part of me wants to break free of these stumbling blocks, but part of me doesn't. I need your help in turning myself entirely over to you. Please send your healing, cleansing, and refreshing power through the Holy Spirit to help me as I commit to fully and completely turning my life over to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
