EXPERIENCING GOD THROUGH REPENTANCE

Repentance means turning away from sins and pursuing what is acceptable to God. It is a very important part of our forgiveness. Proverbs 28:13 says, "People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." Concealing sin refers to covering or hiding wrongdoing and demonstrating an unwillingness to change one's heart. God rebuked the Israelite people because of their hypocrisy, and He said these words to them, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught." God is teaching us that repentance begins in our hearts and is then reflected in our change actions. When we confess our sins to God, it must be followed by our willingness to change, so that God may show us mercy. 

We can experience God in a very meaningful way when we repent from our sins. When we confess our sins to God, we must be willing to turn away from our sins and pursue His ways. God said these words in Isaiah 66:2, "My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word." Contrite heart means a repentant heart. God knows when we struggle with a particular sin. There are situations in life that we want to change, but it seems impossible to change because it has a strong hold on us. We keep on praying that God changes our hearts, but we keep on falling into the same sin. As a result, we feel like giving up. Having a contrite (repentant) heart means never giving up on pursuing change. As long as God sees the sincerity of our hearts in wanting to change, He forgives us and shows mercy. We will eventually conquer the sin that easily entangles us through His work within us.

Let us examine our hearts today, for God is constantly examining our hearts. If we want to experience God in a very meaningful way, we must have a repentant heart—a heart that is sincere in turning away from sin and pursuing God's ways.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What does repentance mean? Do I have a repentant heart? Why is it important for me to have a repentant heart?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I confess all my sins to you and ask for your forgiveness. I repent of my sins and choose to follow your ways. Please continue to change my heart and help me overcome the sin that I struggle with constantly. Thank you for showing me mercy and forgiving all my sins. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.