“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and as a cloud, your sins: return to me; for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)
“I am he: before me there was no God, neither will there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior.” (Isaiah 43:10b-11) When people hold things against you, God will hold you up. When people put you down, God will lift you up. When people write you off, God will write you in. When people cut you out, God will graft you in. He never quits, His love never fails, and He will never leave you. And this grace, this love He gives: it is overwhelming. Once you’ve touched it, once you’ve tasted it, once you’ve been wrapped in the soft, surrounding blanket of it—you will never be the same. He came for me when I was drowning in my sin and shame, sinking in the mire of the filth I had created. He didn’t condemn me. He didn’t walk away. He didn’t look on me with disdain. He didn’t reject me. He took me in His arms as if I had never done wrong, been wrong, created wrong. But I had. “Can’t you see Jesus, what I did to her? What I said to him? Where I’ve been? What I’ve done? Can’t you see this dirt, this filth all over my heart and soul?” “Child, you’ve come to yourself like the prodigal son You’ve arrested the attention of the holy angels above For there is joy in the presence of the angels of God Over one sinner that repents and yields to My love.” (Luke 15:10) Repentance is not remorse, although great remorse often comes with true repentance. Remorse is Judas throwing the silver coins of his betrayal of Jesus, at the feet of the Jewish elders, knowing that what he did was wrong. Repentance is the prodigal son coming to himself, getting up and leaving the filth of his soiled life to return to his father even if it meant merely being a servant in his house. But what did the father of the prodigal do? “But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am not worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring here the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry: for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:20-24) Repentance is a change of not only your mind, but of your heart and actions. It is a complete turn around. It is a coming to yourself. It is leaving your pride, insecurities, and hiding, to come into the full light and love of God displayed in Christ on the Cross. It is hearing God say Isaiah 44:22 in the depths of your soul, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return to me; for I have redeemed you.” To “blot out” means to obliterate from the memory, from under heaven. (Strong’s 4229) Wiped away, gone, obliterated. Anyone who comes, anyone who turns, anyone who asks, anyone who yields in true repentance will have their slate wiped clean, be made new, be redeemed, made whole, and be filled with the breath and heartbeat of heaven. I am not perfect, only He is. I still make mistakes, fall short, make wrong decisions, yield to my will rather than His. But when I mess up He always takes me back as soon as I breathe His name and turn to Him. He loves me like no other, guides me back to the narrow path, pulls me close and won’t let go. He is amazing. He is mine, and I am His and nothing and no one can change that…(Song of Solomon 2:16) Come to yourself. Return to Him. And watch Him run to you with open arms. Written by Anne Marie Hawke January 2021 To subscribe to my blog or to find out more about my writing, please visit my website at hawkewriter.com
4 Comments
Rachel
1/15/2021 07:25:27 pm
Very beautiful.. And completely true!
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Brenda McMurray
1/16/2021 08:14:47 am
I am finishing my study for teaching my Life Group tomorrow. Thank you for this beautiful lesson of How Great Our Heavenly Father and what he has done through his Son Jesus Christ.
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Lisa
1/18/2021 04:51:19 am
Thank-you! Repentance is one of my favorite topics and is so needed in this day!
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Debbie
1/22/2021 02:24:54 pm
Powerful!!
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