As difficult as it may be for us, fasting and self-denial is the easier part of the process of returning to God or seeking God’s face. The resolution and steps taken to make a U-turn from the sins we commit on a daily basis is the real deal, and the expected fruit of the finished work of Christ in reconciling us to God.
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. – Jonah 3:10.
The people of Nineveh, encouraged by a humble king, carried out the external traditions and works of self-denial with their ashes, sack-cloths, loud cries to God, and fast from food and drink. Hard work indeed, but had they stopped there, God’s promised wrath against them would not have been avoided. Instead, encouraged by the hope of divine mercy upon his people and land, their king implored them to turn from their evil ways and violent acts.
That message is the same today. In a way, the Ninnevites were blessed that they had a timeline, 40 days, to turn their lives around. For each one of us, there is an unknown and definite timeline for repentance and finding mercy. It is because of God’s loving desire that we continually be in communion with Him and dependent upon Him, that we do not know our next steps or when our 40 days of hope in His mercy will end.
God sees our hearts and reads our minds, He knows when we are sincere about being sorry for our sins while we are seeking His face and when we are not, because our minds are set on sinning again. The Good Shepherd also understands that our flesh is weak and urges us to remind ourselves frequently, that the victory of Christ on the Cross is also our victory over the power of sin in our lives. We can gradually overcome our sinful thoughts and actions, one step at a time, by the power of Christ strengthening us and the grace of the Holy Spirit leading us aright.
From Psalm 51, we pray: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
God will give us a clean heart and renew His Spirit in us whenever we are truly contrite, and He will do this as frequently as we ask because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. However, He also reserves the right to sanctify our souls by whatever means His wisdom perceives as necessary when we are obstinate in our sins.
May we daily commit to walking with His Spirit at the beginning of each new day. And when we fall, involuntarily or voluntarily, may we never waste time in running back into His open, waiting arms, confident that nothing can separate us from His love, not even our worst sins. He will always hate our sins but He will never stop loving us. He loved us first, when we were knee-deep in iniquity, He will love us to the last minute of our lives. He only asks that we reciprocate that love by obeying His Word with the help of His Spirit.
As we proceed with this Lenten season, may the Spirit of holiness help us in our growth in holiness. Amen.
Hilltop Thoughts, Valley Strengths 