Repentance

Two points have come into somewhat sharper focus, very recently.

First, as regards the call to humble ourselves, turn from wickedness, and seek the Lord, so that He'll heal us and our land...in that proclamation, it's His people who are being told to do so. He calls His own people to humble themselves.

Not the pagan nations. Not visitors and aliens.

God calls His own people to humble themselves, turn from wickedness and seek Him.

Secondarily, the repentance described there isn't one that carries a burden for its own sins, alone.

It's one described in Leviticus 26, such as given expression through Nehemiah and Daniel, both.

They saw how grievously they had sinned against God--not only themselves, but as counting themselves in complete accord with the sins of all God's people. They confessed the sins of all the people of God as their own sin--fully embraced it as their own, counting it their own error against God. Confessing it to Him, terribly grieved over how wretchedly they'd acted against Him, then.

Mourning deeply how far they had fallen away from Him. Even as to totally ignore Him, completely turn their backs on Him...in favor of doing always what was right in their own eyes, in favor of a form of godliness without power, in favor of self-indulgence and idolatry of every sort. Esteeming the desires of man above the will of God. Completely erring against Him in all ways possible, or at in as many ways as they had ever conceived as to stray from Him and act against Him.

They were grieved over this, terribly.

And Daniel especially gave example of the full of what the Lord described in Leviticus 26, as he didn't merely cease with grieving while repenting and confessing all those sins as his own...he acknowledged the presence of God's judgment already largely enacted upon His people. And he embraced that judgment as justly due. And submitted to that judgment as right.

And asked for mercy.

Daniel was relentless with this. He humbled himself until he got answer. He grieved until the Lord responded to him, directly, even as through a messenger.

He didn't stop at having only confessed sin, acknowledging judgement, and asking mercy. He continued to grieve. He continued to mourn over the state of his people. He continued to cry out to God over these things. And if the Lord had waited longer than three weeks to respond, then it would have been a longer process on Daniel's part (if cyclic, perhaps).

Not a part he played, but it was a burden upon his heart so that he could do nothing else except cry out to God.

He isn't far off from us, you all. God isn't distant. Merely, we're so entrenched in indulgences and distractions and all manner of ideas and ideologies that we largely just don't even know what it is to seek Him and desire Him with all our heart.

He increases desire for the pursuit, though, as we ask Him to help us even on this front.

He will do the things which He has said He will do. And as we ask Him for help, increasingly growing in sincerity per continual asking (which, itself, is divine intervention as such occurs)...He increasing answers. According to His will, still, ultimately.

There are so many things, though. And we don't even ask.

Largely due to fear. There is something of a spiritual sabotage attempted, with intent to prevent our progress in seeking Christ wholeheartedly, whereby whispers give way to "self-preserving" inclinations, giving way to a false desire for "self-preservation."

The whole deal is a lie. The eternal is our pursuit, as Christians. And this, even as we have many things by which to glorify God daily, so as never to discount to blessing of any given moment of life. But that's still an eternal purpose manifest in time--it's not disconnected from our life in Christ.

Whereas, with what calls itself by "self-preservation," we denounce the value of the eternal by refusing to seek the will of God. Anything which comes by His will is to be unto His glory, so is worthwhile. For those who love Him and desire to please Our Father...then even suffering can be a point of rejoicing, yes...for being entrusted with that such opportunity to openly display faith, as rejoicing per belief in who He is, regardless circumstances, regardless pain.

Paul said we could even look to his life as an example in how we ought to pursue Christ's will and how we ought to glorify God and magnify Him and worship Him in every situation. It was a recommendation, though. Not really. It was direction of how the Lord desires us to live.

So long as we're clinging to the things of the world, though, faith seems nebulous and uncertain. Largely because that sort of double-mindedness really does just have a very low view of God.

To cling tightly to the things of the world is a manifestation of one's own doubts about God's goodness and love and keeping power. It's manifest evidence of an unwillingness to trust.

He's been sorely convicting me on these points, lately. Because it's grievous. It's not what He would have for us. He would have us be free from the bondage of the world. He would have us be free to trust Him, knowing Him that deeply. Walking in fellowship in that way, as to be willing to take every hurt and pain to Him, first, and trust that He will make every necessary accommodation for all our utmost needs. Sometimes miraculously, other times by way or divine ordination of events or divine direction. But ever by His will and guidance.

We have to seek Him for these things, ask Him for them. Continue asking.

I've erred against Him so much on these fronts, the past many months especially. Or maybe it only seems especially these past months, when actually it's only been this recently that He's made such point to convict and draw to repentance, into deliverance.

So many things, though.

Longing to hear His voice, again, to be directed as plainly. Emotion is one thing, of deeper knowings--inclinations per peace, grief, compassion, love, and the like.

What grieves the most, though, is to know He's not the one who turned away. He never does.