God’s Call to Genuine Repentance
Healing comes when our heart's desire is to please our heavenly Father.
From Intouch Ministries
March 6, 2023
In the kitchen sits a full cookie jar, and 6-year-old Todd is determined to have one. When his mom walks in, she finds him—one arm still in the jar—chewing fast. The first words out of his mouth are, “I’m sorry.” He obviously regrets being caught and is unhappy about the punishment that may follow, but he’s probably not remorseful for eating the cookies.
Believers sometimes approach confession and repentance the same way. Sorrow usually accompanies admission of guilt, and feelings of shame and remorse are labeled as repentance. Yet too often our repentance is shallow. We’re sad over the consequences of our actions and upset that we’ve failed to live up to our own standards of good behavior. But genuine repentance goes deeper than self-reproach; it involves a sense of grief over having wronged God by sinning against Him.
Our desire should be to please our heavenly Father, not grieve Him. So genuine repentance leads us to forsake the sin and practice obedience. When we humble ourselves and truly repent, the Holy Spirit pours His power and strength into our life. Then we are enabled to turn from that sin in order to walk in obedience to our Lord.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 4-6
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