Prayer – Lord, I hear You saying that You don’t want a
burnt offering—but a broken and repentant heart. Usually, a broken heart is a
sad thing…but with You, Lord, a broken heart yielding to You is a good thing. My
heart yields to You—to Your will and Your way. I praise You—now and forever
more.
Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt
offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a
broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:15-17
Meditate. Consider God’s guidance throughout scripture.
Jesus’ message at the beginning of His ministry was “repent.”
Later on, after John
was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God's Good News.
"The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The
Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!" Mark
1:14-15
I have come to call
not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and
need to repent." Luke 5:32
 |
| A Broken Heart allowing Christ in. |
Now, son of man, I
am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I
say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die
and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their
sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to
repent and they don't repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have
saved yourself. ... Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous
behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will
the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from
their sins. Ezekiel 33:7-9, 12
Even to the end there will be people who refuse to repent.
Read these verses from Revelation and hear once again how God wants individuals to
repent, but He leaves the choice up to them. John sees these rebellious people
in one of the visions God gives him about the future.
One-third of all the
people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and
burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. Their power was in
their mouths and in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with
the power to injure people. But the people who did not die in these plagues
still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to
worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that
can neither see nor hear nor walk! Revelation 9:18-20
Repenting is the key—in the past, in this present time, and
in the future. Repenting means to turn away from current thoughts, actions,
attitudes and habits—and follow God’s way. Once again, God wats us to worship
Him, not idols. A repentant heart in those who know they are sinners is what
God desires. Of course, according to Romans 3:23, everyone is a sinner—so everyone
needs to repent to receive pardon for their sins, for the result of sin is
spiritual death. The choice is up to each person. What do you choose today? Choose
life…or choose death.
Verse of Salvation ~ For the kind of sorrow God wants us
to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no
regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance,
results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House
Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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