DECEMBER 26, 2023 – Before, Or After

Before, Or After

 DECEMBER 26, 2023
 Daily Reading – Zechariah 1-3 / Revelation 18

 GOD’S WORD:

Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        As a child growing up, I lived at home with my mom, dad, and my sister. Even back then I was smart enough not to pick on my mom and dad. So, that left my little sister as the target of my practical jokes and childish tortures. When I was caught, (which was often,) I would receive some sort of punishment, and then was sent to my room to reflect on what I had done and the punishment. After a while, I was called in front of my parents and sister and told, “tell your sister you are sorry, or go back to your room.” If I said it with a snotty voice, my parents would say, “tell her you are sorry again, and mean it!” Before the punishment was to be over, I had to say I was sorry. At times, I would say the words to be done with the punishment.

        Today there is a question in some churches of whether we must repent before, or after salvation. Repentance means to turn from facing one way, do an about face, and turn to face another. In Zech. 1:3 God says, “…Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.” So, what did God expect them to turn from? Zech. 1:4 explains this when it says, “…Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings:…” Before, God would turn toward them, they needed to repent, turn away from their sin. They had to be sorry for their sin, and prove it by repenting, turning. P.S. God knows if we are telling the truth or not.

         

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Why would we expect, or ask God to leave us in our sinfulness? He sent Jesus to free us from that sin filled life, not condone it. What a blessing to know, that when we repent, turn from sin to our Saviour, He does forgive completely, and washes our sin away.

Have you been cleansed?