Clearing the Way
by Ariana Hubing
Acts 3:19-20–
“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.” NLT
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” NIV
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus…” ESV
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These verses, so integral to the Good News, words that I have heard and read my whole life, stood out anew when I read them at the beginning of this fast. The Power and the Presence of God. It’s what we’re after. And here the Scriptures lay out again the beautiful way we have access to that Power and Presence.
NLT says, “he will again send you Jesus”. With the context of Peter’s speech during Pentecost, to the Jewish diaspora returned to Jerusalem for the celebration, it’s a beautiful promise. The Jesus that the Jewish people rejected and sent to the cross is not lost to them. They are not lost to God. In fact, this is His plan. All that is required of them—of us—is that they repent. They must see themselves as what they are: sinners.
I fear that I have an awful habit of thinking that the things going on inside my head are not sins unless they manifest somehow in the physical world. Maybe I’ve taken that “you can’t stop a bird from flying above you, but you can stop it from making a nest” idea too far. But coupled with this promise from God, that His presence comes with refreshment, I felt God point out the place where repentance sits. It comes first. I can’t expect God to reside, complacent, in my heart with the sin there. That’s not His speed and it never has been.
I know personally the power that confession and repentance wield. There is much to be said of communal and public confession, especially when it comes to eradicating shame. But for the purpose of this devotional, I want to remind us all of the power that comes from being brutally honest with yourself and with God. He works nonetheless, but He honors our efforts to discern where we are not surrendered or maintain strongholds of sin.
This might be a message for just me or maybe God put this on my heart for you, too. If you’re seeking something specific from God during this fast, He might want you to focus on something in your own heart first. He might be asking you to step away from that answer or direction you’re intent upon receiving and see what else He’s revealing to you. The Lord is so good! He can do far more than we ask or even imagine, and while I might think that this fast has one obvious goal, He’s writing a three-act masterpiece. When we’re focused on that one conclusion, we miss everything else. Repentance—baring your soul—is a Biblical way to assess your heart's motivations and surrender them to God once more. And thank you, Lord, for promising refreshment for our souls as a result of such soul searching! When we’re honest with where we stand, we have a more clear view of God’s desire for our lives. We acknowledge where we messed up, we confess that we can do no good thing apart from Him, we receive His grace, and we receive His steadfast, rejuvenating Presence. Amen!
Acts 3:19-20–
“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.” NLT
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” NIV
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus…” ESV
____________________________________________________________________
These verses, so integral to the Good News, words that I have heard and read my whole life, stood out anew when I read them at the beginning of this fast. The Power and the Presence of God. It’s what we’re after. And here the Scriptures lay out again the beautiful way we have access to that Power and Presence.
NLT says, “he will again send you Jesus”. With the context of Peter’s speech during Pentecost, to the Jewish diaspora returned to Jerusalem for the celebration, it’s a beautiful promise. The Jesus that the Jewish people rejected and sent to the cross is not lost to them. They are not lost to God. In fact, this is His plan. All that is required of them—of us—is that they repent. They must see themselves as what they are: sinners.
I fear that I have an awful habit of thinking that the things going on inside my head are not sins unless they manifest somehow in the physical world. Maybe I’ve taken that “you can’t stop a bird from flying above you, but you can stop it from making a nest” idea too far. But coupled with this promise from God, that His presence comes with refreshment, I felt God point out the place where repentance sits. It comes first. I can’t expect God to reside, complacent, in my heart with the sin there. That’s not His speed and it never has been.
I know personally the power that confession and repentance wield. There is much to be said of communal and public confession, especially when it comes to eradicating shame. But for the purpose of this devotional, I want to remind us all of the power that comes from being brutally honest with yourself and with God. He works nonetheless, but He honors our efforts to discern where we are not surrendered or maintain strongholds of sin.
This might be a message for just me or maybe God put this on my heart for you, too. If you’re seeking something specific from God during this fast, He might want you to focus on something in your own heart first. He might be asking you to step away from that answer or direction you’re intent upon receiving and see what else He’s revealing to you. The Lord is so good! He can do far more than we ask or even imagine, and while I might think that this fast has one obvious goal, He’s writing a three-act masterpiece. When we’re focused on that one conclusion, we miss everything else. Repentance—baring your soul—is a Biblical way to assess your heart's motivations and surrender them to God once more. And thank you, Lord, for promising refreshment for our souls as a result of such soul searching! When we’re honest with where we stand, we have a more clear view of God’s desire for our lives. We acknowledge where we messed up, we confess that we can do no good thing apart from Him, we receive His grace, and we receive His steadfast, rejuvenating Presence. Amen!