Repentance

Prayer – Lord, forgive me—as well as my family, friends, neighbors, community, and the world—for all the offensive thoughts, words and actions. In particular, I have just had such an empty feeling—and I know that You can forgive me, fill me, refresh me, and renew me in my spirit—so, please cleanse my heart and fill me with Your love, grace, and mercy. I so look forward to life everlasting with You. Thank You—thank you—thank you!  

 

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

 

Meditate. Consider repentance.

 

How’s the Day of Atonement fasting going for you? When we give up something that is precious to us—food—and submit to the Lord, it honors Him. Our fasting can be from food, or anything…like TV, video games, sports, reading books other than the Bible, or whatever draws our attention away from the Lord.

 

Repentance is the key to this Day. If we spend the day focusing on not eating…then we haven’t really met the intention of God’s plan for this festival. On this High Holy day, being forgiven when the priest entered the Holy of Holies this one day of the year for the repentance of the nation’s sins, the Jews of earlier times were assured that their names were written in the Book of Life for another year. Additionally, their sins were cast onto a scapegoat that was released into the wilderness.

 

Today, Jews spend the day at their synagogue focusing on prayer and in the afternoon, they read the entire book of Jonah. Why that book, you might ask? It focuses on sin, divine judgement, repentance and forgiveness. Interesting that Jonah was sent to a Gentile city of Nineveh with God’s command to repent, and they subjected themselves to the God of the Jews—the God of all creation—and atoned of their sins so that God would not destroy their city.

 

How big was that fish that swallowed Jonah?

Jonah didn’t want God to forgive those Gentiles Ninevites and so he headed for Tarshish to escape from God and His orders. God’s plans were fulfilled when a storm focused on Jonah’s disobedience and caused him to be thrown overboard where a big fish swallowed him. Jonah had a personal repentance experience when he found himself in the belly of a big fish and he prayed.

As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone. Jonah 2:7-9

Does God need to have us swallowed by a big fish to get our attention for us to repent of our sins? Repentance is vital to a healthy relationship with our creator—our Almighty God.                    

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name. Psalm 79:9

 

© 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

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