SCRIPTURE: Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you -- even Jesus. – Acts 3:19-20
OBSERVATION: Peter is speaking to the shocked onlookers who just saw a man who was crippled from birth healed. They are amazed by the miracle, and Peter is asking them why they are surprised and is telling them that if they would accept Jesus as God’s son and would repent, their sins would be wiped away.
APPLICATION: I ran across these verses in my Beth Moore study of Esther, so I thought I would focus on them today. And I really like the way Beth talks about repentance; it’s not a punishment, it’s a time for renewal, refreshment. So many of us look at repenting as this some form of humiliation when really it’s a time to grow closer to God by turning away from our sins.
Repentance is turning away from those things in your life that do not bring you closer to God and, therefore, pull you away from joy, peace, and comfort. Repentance is turning around, telling God, "Draw me closer to You! I need You in my life more than I need anything else," and having Him wrap you in His arms. How wonderful is that!
PRAYER: God, please help me turn away from the sins in my life and draw closer to You. I want to repent, to be a better person, to be able to be a light in this world for You. I am so sorry for all that is wrong in my life, and I want to be more like You.
6 comments:
What a beautiful genuine prayer!
I agree that repentance is about renewal and reconciliation. When you give yourself over to God's mercy, you are starting a new page in your life hopefully directed by God's will. Beautiful prayer!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I enjoy visiting yours!
Thank you for your thoughts on repentance. I can never get enough.
I am off to work on my own Beth Moore study for tonight.
oh that part: Repentance is turning away from those things in your life that do not bring you closer to God and, therefore, pull you away from joy, peace, and comfort. UGG. so true but so hard to remember.
i'm doing "the temple" by laurie cole. deep stuff!
How hard true repentance is. It's easy to confess, but hard to truly feel the way God does about sin and to truly turn away from it.
However, you're right-- it is a really good thing, because it signifies that we're becoming more like Him.
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