Visited Crosspoint today with my sweet friend Abby (Anna and Steph came also!) and was so blessed. Enjoyed a time of worship (Jesus, Thank You.) and then encouragement from the Word-- Joel 1. Pastor Ken is doing a series on the book of Joel and my heart was so convicted.
He shared about our need for repentance and restoration with Christ. Often we see our sin as we see it, not as Christ sees it. If I am bothered by my sin I deal with it, but if it doesn't bother me, I often overlook it as not a big deal. My sin, even the "little things" that I brush to the side and justify, offends God!
It's interesting to see the verbs used in Joel 1 to describe our needed response to sin.
(1:13-14)
*Lament
*Wail
*Several times being clothed in sackcloth is mentioned
**CRY OUT to the Lord
It goes on further but I will stop there. I circled several of these verbs in my Bible as they jumped out at me- THIS is how seriously I should respond to my sin. When I get angry, I need to see it as God sees it. Not accept it because "I'm ok, it's ok for me to get angry. Nobody knows what's in my heart and I can fake it. It's no big deal, everybody gets frustrated- it's part of life!" And the list goes on with different sin patterns we all face.
The blessing is that as we cry out to God and plead with Him for forgiveness, He is there ready to restore us to Himself. Amen! It all comes to obedience- then restoration. Thankful for a God who desires to restore us and give us a life of victory.
A life of repentance is a life of JOY and Blessing- and brings true intimacy with God.
One Campbell, Thankful and Condensed
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