A Word About Repentance

Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. [Psalm 80.3]

We can't even repent of our own volition. We need God to help us to repent. We need God to look upon us and draw us to Himself.

And, when God does look upon us, we need to respond - we need to be open, we need to be willing, we need to be submitted, we need to be resigned completely to Him.

I know I have written much in the past weeks and months about our need for repentance. But let it be clear that repentance is not something we 'hold out' on as if it is entirely in our control. No, unless God "turns us to Himself" (and away from our sinful faithlessness - ie repentance) - otherwise recognized as the 'conviction' of God's Spirit, there is little hope.

It is not about us deciding to repent.

It is about us responding to God's conviction.

Repentance is not an action of our volition and choosing (as if it will be on our own timing) - it is a response to God's conviction.

So, like the Psalmist, we should regularly pray: Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.