May the mumbling commence!
The call echoes throughout all
generations. The call echoes through the
voice of the prophets of the Lord. The
call to repent comes. It comes from
Elijah to Malachi, from John the Baptist to Jesus, from Peter and Paul to our
current day faith leaders.
We find the call to repent as the
ending exclamation point in Hosea. Read Hosea
chapter fourteen:
Return, O Israel, to the Lord
your God, for your sins have brought you down.
Bring your petitions, and return to the Lord.
Say to him, "Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you the sacrifice of praise. Assyria cannot
save us, nor can our strength in
battle. Never again will we call the idols we have made 'our gods.' No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy."
The Lord
says, "Then I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, and
my love will know no bounds, for my
anger will be gone forever! I will
be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. It will blossom like the lily;
it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like those of
beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedar forests of Lebanon. My
people will return again to the safety of their land. They will flourish
like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines
of Lebanon.
O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who
looks after you and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green,
giving my fruit to you all through the year."
Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those
who are discerning listen carefully. The paths of the
Lord are true and right, and
righteous people live by walking in them. But sinners stumble
and fall along the way.
Return to the Lord. The call is clear. Return to the Lord and be forgiven. Return to the Lord and be healed.
Idolatry and faithlessness will be
transformed into steadfast faithfulness to the Lord. Return and follow the Way of the Lord. Walk in the Way of God.
And prosperity will return. But be careful not to forget who the source
of prosperity is – the Lord. Do not be
deceived into thinking your own power has brought prosperity… or the power of
your allies. In other words, do not
return to the idols of the past… even if they are cleverly disguised as
something else.
And we find the call to repent at
the heart of the book of the prophet Joel.
Read from Joel chapter two:
That is why the Lord
says, "Turn to me now, while there is time! Give
me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don't tear your clothing in your grief;
instead, tear your hearts." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful.
He is not easily angered. He
is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you. Who knows?
Perhaps even yet he will give you a
reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this terrible curse. Perhaps he
will give you so much that you will be
able to offer grain and wine to the Lord
your God as before! (Verses 12-14)
Our God is not looking for a mere
surface change. Repentance and returning
to the Lord is about a heart change – a deep change from within. Let’s give God our hearts… our attitudes… our
dreams. And God will transform them into
what each should become so that each of us can become more like children of the
Lord.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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