A Time of Repentance
Wednesday, September 16
2 Samuel 11:4 (NKJV)
“Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.”
Devotion
When David was a shepherd boy, he used to meditate upon the Lord, alone in the fields, tending sheep and singing songs to Him. The prophet Samuel even spoke this of David: “... The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people ...” (1 Samuel 13:14). The Lord was watching David, even though he did not know He was there.
So, how did David go from this picture to sinning against God?
Temptation enters our hearts where there is room available for distractions to lead us away from God. It starts in the heart, where a shift takes place from desiring to please Him to desiring to please ourselves, and we give in to the temptation of sin. Letting our guard down by losing sight of our God-given purpose and the desire to hear the voice of the Lord in personal prayer time and meditation of the Word of God, we instead become entertained with our own self-willed notions and the noise of the world around us.
The author of Psalm 119 wrote this as a desire of his heart to remain blameless before God: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (verse 11). The difference here is the heart’s desire to walk in the fear of the Lord.
It is time to return to this place with the same awe and reverence that first captured our hearts when we met our Lord Jesus Christ and were saved. Our hearts were filled with a lightness like the dew of spring when we were forgiven and cleansed from a lifetime of sin. Walking in the newness of life for the first time, we experienced a freshness and awareness of true, unearned Love. A love so vast that words could not express the mercy coming from a Presence that was far beyond what we could imagine.
Revelation 2:4–5 urges us: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works ...”
Zechariah 1:3 beckons us: “‘Return to Me,’ says the Lord of Hosts, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of Hosts.”
This is a promise with an open invitation—any time, anywhere, His heart is open to receive us if we will just return to Him. Now is the time for repentance.
Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Hear my cry, O Lord, for I return to You. Forgive me for straying from that which is important to You, including the purpose for which I was created—to enjoy intimate fellowship with You. You paid a high price to redeem my life, and I am grateful. So, please cleanse these hands and renew a steadfast spirit in me. I am Yours. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen
Apply It Today
It is possible to safeguard yourself from temptation, where the thing that once turned your head no longer causes you to do so. By making the shift in your heart to focus solely on what is eternally important, but that which also impacts the here and now. Read Colossians 3:16–17.
Resources
- Have you wandered from God? Repentance is an invitation to return to Him. No matter how far you’ve strayed, God can restore you. Watch this short clip, “God Can Restore You,” and be encouraged by His grace and forgiveness.
- We are just 2 days away from Divine Conference! Ladies, we want YOU to be part of this life-changing experience! Get your $20 Streampass today and join us online for a powerful time in God’s presence!