Matthew 4:17
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (ESV)
I was just thinking that we don’t talk about repentance very much, do we? Why is that? Do we think it’s too offensive to tell someone that they need to repent? Do we not understand it?
The word repent literally means “to think differently.” So, it’s not just something we ‘do.’ It’s a whole new way of thinking. It means we think differently about sin, God, and how we should respond to both.
When Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, He says that after a long stint of reckless living, the son finally “came to himself,” and then he came to his father and said, “I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” In other words, he realized that his lifestyle wasn’t just harmful to him, but it was an assault on God, Himself. Isn’t that really what sin is?
The prodigal son didn’t just feel sorry for his actions and their consequences, he completely changed his mind about them. Change - isn’t this what Jesus died for? I’m not talking about changing the way we feel or even what we do. Repentance is a change that goes much deeper than that.
Again, repentance isn’t just something we ‘do’ nor is it even feeling sorry for what we did. It’s a new way of thinking, which causes us to respond to God in a new way.
Monday
Sunday
How To Get Out of A Pit
Psalm 40:1-2
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
It’s inevitable--sooner or later we all end up in a pit at some point in our lives. So, what do you do when you look around and all you see is dirt?
The first step in getting out of the pit of despair is to cry out to God. Far too often when people get depressed, it is because they are in need of something, but they seek it in the wrong place, which only adds to their problems. Chasing after the wrong thing will always leave you disappointed, and disappointment opens the door to depression.
This is a heart issue, and God is the only one who has the power to heal your heart. So, cry out to Him, and He will hear your cry and bring you up and out.
The second step is to wait. Notice David said, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” That means that the answer to his cry wasn’t apparent for a while. Most of the pits that we end up in have taken us a long time to get into, so it may take some time for you to be delivered.
Take a few minutes and read Psalm 143, then pray that God would begin to heal your heart:
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
It’s inevitable--sooner or later we all end up in a pit at some point in our lives. So, what do you do when you look around and all you see is dirt?
The first step in getting out of the pit of despair is to cry out to God. Far too often when people get depressed, it is because they are in need of something, but they seek it in the wrong place, which only adds to their problems. Chasing after the wrong thing will always leave you disappointed, and disappointment opens the door to depression.
This is a heart issue, and God is the only one who has the power to heal your heart. So, cry out to Him, and He will hear your cry and bring you up and out.
The second step is to wait. Notice David said, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” That means that the answer to his cry wasn’t apparent for a while. Most of the pits that we end up in have taken us a long time to get into, so it may take some time for you to be delivered.
Take a few minutes and read Psalm 143, then pray that God would begin to heal your heart:
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