I know it seems late in the Lenten season for this post, but hear me out.
This is more like a middle of Lent reminder.
Traditionally people give something up for Lent like social media, sugar, carbs, etc. I am all for fasting, in fact, I am trying to learn and incorporate more of it in my life. It's attached to prayer in scripture, and prayer is a passion of mine.
I want to caution us though, including me, to be careful in our giving something up for Lent.
I don't want us to miss what God really wants: our hearts.
He wants soft, moldable hearts, unentangled by sin and able to love and be loved.
So we can give up the things, the chocolate, the social media, the caffeine (I don't actually suggest this one), but let's be careful to remember the point: repentance.
God wants our hearts to return to Him. He wants us to hunt down every place we've let our heart wander and bring it back to our first love. He wants us to repent so that He can refresh us, not so that He can say I told you so.
I love how this verse in Acts paints repentance:
"Repent therefore and turn back that your sins may be blotted out and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
and that he may send the Christ appointed for you,
Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things
about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago."
Acts 3:19
Isn't that beautiful? Repentance brings refreshing form God's presence! This should make us eager for repentance.
I am intrigued by the second part of this verse. I am not going to pretend I totally understand it, but doesn't it seem like Christ's second coming has something to do with repentance? Our restoration is a step to the "restoring of all things". If repentance ushers in refreshing, what if it also ushers in Jesus return?
I know that Jesus only waits because He is patient with us "not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance" (1 Peter 3:9). He is holding out and waiting with expectation.
Don't miss the opportunity this Lent to repent. I need God to untangle the sins that have tangeld my heart. I need Him to show me the places that I need to see. The thing about sin is that it's easy to fall into and hard to recognize.
This is a fantastic prayer from Ezekiel that I will be praying on repeat during this Lenten season. I challenge you to join me. The repeat is important because God in His kindness does not show us all our sin at once. My heart needs the repetition because it is desperate and in need of God's touch.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes
and be careful to obey my rules.
Ezekiel 36:25-27
Father, open my eyes to the places that I am harboring sin in my heart. Help me let go and confess. Cleanse me from the idols that I have loved above You. Forgive me. Remove the places that sin and bitterness have callosed over my heart. Forgive where unbelief has left me stoney. Give me a new heart and a new spirit. Cause me to walk in obedience with a power and joy from Your Spirit.
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