A Day-by-day devotional

January 18, 2023

Repentant Heart

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 26-28

Scripture of the Day: Luke 5:31-32

In the spring of 2020, I was in attendance at the live streaming of the National Day of Prayer of the Church of God. Doug Small, author of several books on prayer, and founder of ProjectPray, uttered the following prayer which resonated deeply in my heart:

“For 20 years, 30 years, we’ve been up against a growing darkness and we’ve pointed our finger at the world. But the real problem is us. It’s not a problem with the darkness. It’s a problem with the light. Let repentance begin with the house of the Lord.”

Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, there has already been a case of pointing fingers. We humans are often too fast laying blame on others, pointing out their mistakes. However, we are too slow in recognizing and admitting our own shortcomings.

The world we are living in now is enveloped in darkness. We are way past a threshold of evil times. The Prince of this world is lurking in every nook and cranny of our lives, seizing every opportunity to bait us into his traps and schemes. But as Doug Small pointed out, it is not the darkness that is the problem. It is us, supposedly light bearers who fail to admit our failure to be the light of the world. Instead of turning away from the darkness and exposing it with our light, we blend with it. We enter its entanglements.

It is time for us to turn away from our apostasy and return to the path of light. We should begin to acknowledge our sinfulness and commit to change. The world needs repentance since it is groped by darkness and it indulges in the ways of darkness. However, those set apart from the world are not exempt. We too need repentance for our love gone cold, for our apathy, for our dwindling fire.

Reflection: What have you been doing with the growing concern about the apostasy that the church is currently experiencing? Have you been considering your part too small to make a difference? Remember, tiny contributions put together could make a major difference.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the cross. Thank you for your forgiveness. I am grateful that you keep holding out your hand to me, never letting me go, at times when I fall. Convict me of my sins and the part I fail to play as a bearer of your light. Thank you for loving me despite my mistakes and failures. Help me live a life that is pleasing to you, combating the darkness all around me, and sharing in the beauty of your light. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.