Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 7:4-6, So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 5 And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
Israel’s response to Samuel rebuke is a good example of what true repentance looks like. Israel was struck to the core of their being in their conviction. However, experiencing conviction is not repentance. We can feel a certain way, and those feelings can lead us to confession, but confession is not repentance. Israel lamented after the Lord (v. 2), but it was the actions that followed that proved their repentance. The fact that they served the Lord only was evidence of a heart change, at least for the time being. The fact of the matter is that this process of conviction, repentance and confession is one that we will repeat time and time again because of our sin nature. Praise to the Lord that He is patient and merciful. Nonetheless, we see that Israel is now ready to submit to God’s and Samuel, God’s prophet’s, authority. As we come to true repentance, it becomes evident by our willingness to submit to God’s authority. In the process of returning to the Lord, there was a key action that took place…prayer. Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are told to “pray without ceasing”. Communicating with the Lord is most important, in our relationship and return to Him. Our time in God’s Word, and all we do in the Name of the Lord, will often lack power if we are not going before the Lord to find out what He desires of us. This is the reason it is so important to combine prayer with our study of God’s Word. The drawing and pouring out of water before the Lord was an expression of their surrender to the Lord. Lamentations 2:19 reads, “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.” Psalm 62:8 also says, Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” This signified a pouring out of self that was intended to be complete without pulling back. How often do we give something over to the Lord, or we commit to giving of ourselves, but there is still a string attached that we later use to pull it back to ourselves, or to pull back on what we promised. True repentance calls for complete surrender and a complete turn from whatever is causing a hindrance between us and the Lord. Israel fasted, an outward sign of their willingness to deny self and submit to the Lord, and made a public confession of their sinfulness. What are we holding onto today that needs to be brought to before the Lord and left at His feet? What pet sin are we still playing with, thinking that God is deceived by our fake confessions that are driven by superficial emotions? Galatians 6:7 clearly tells us, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” What sin are we still struggling with, simply because we have not been willing to truly pour out our hearts, and ourselves, before the Lord? What will it take for the Lord to bring us to our knees, and cause us to lament after Him? Would it not be best if we avoided such pain and simply returned to Him, not just with our empty words, but bearing fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8)?
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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