For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will
bind us up.
I read
an article this morning which made a distinction between the Hebraic
term teshuvah/returning to the Lord and repentance/regret or sorrow
for an action or to change one's mind. I was thinking of Adam and
Eve. When they realized their sin, they hid from God, which is what
our sin usually does – causes us to hide. We regret our actions
and while this may lead to a change, it can also be a trap. The
change comes when we return to the Lord and is the only way out of
the trap. In His presence there is forgiveness and there is
restoration. Change can happen when sin is acknowledged, brought
into the light of God's love. His mercy and grace are greater than
our sin. Sorrow and regret can be a trap, however, unless they lead
to returning. The enemy can use our sorrow and regret to take away
hope and creates despair – if we see only the sin and not the way
out. Judas' sorrow lead to his destruction, he literally could not
live with his sin. Peter's sorrow lead to new life, a changed life.
His sorrow lead him back to the One who loved him, forgave him and
restored him to fellowship. And I believe - I know - this fellowship was now on
a new level of intimacy and trust and adoration that came from the
brokenness of sin.
For
thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning
and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be
your strength."
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