READING: Genesis 6-8, Matthew 3-4:11
Maybe you’ve seen the billboards along the road or the sign-carrying football fan on the TV screen. Or, perhaps you remember evangelistic tract comics that echo the same idea. Most of us who are Christ-followers have probably heard the word resounding from pulpits: “Repent!”
This message, too, was the message John the Baptist echoed in the first century: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matt. 3:2). He spoke the words in the wilderness, yet something about his ministry and message drew people from “Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan” (Matt. 3:5). No matter who came to him—including religious leaders of his day—John called for repentance.
Nothing has changed in God’s call for all of us to turn from our sin and trust Him. We take that step at our conversion, and we must then daily turn away from those things that hinder our walk with God. Thus, I wonder this day: I know I’m a follower of Christ, but I’m still a sinner—so what actions or attitudes must I turn from today? Frankly, pride comes to mind. So does impatience. And worry. And on and on . . . . In God’s power, I must live in a spirit of repentance and trust.
If you’re a disciple of Jesus, ask the Lord to show you where you need to repent today. If you’re not a Christian, watch this brief video that shows how repentance fits into the Good News that Christians proclaim.
Prayer: “God, help me to turn from anything displeasing to You today. Show me where I need to repent.”
Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 9-11, Matthew 4:12-5:12