20-DAY CHALLENGE: LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (DAY-9)

20-DAY CHALLENGE: LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (Day-9)

SINCE I AM A CHRISTIAN, DO I HAVE A NEED FOR REPENTANCE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your commands.
(Psalms 119:176)

MEDITATION:
There is only One who knows us well enough
to provide exactly what we need, at exactly the right time.
Whenever the Psalmist had problems,
he knew that God was the One he needed to go to “first”.

He also knew of his own failures, and how he was not
living as close to God as he should be (if he truly loved Him).
He knew God’s commands, but had chosen
to ignore them, and it caused him to wander away from Him.
We can sense his repentant heart
when we see how he communicated with God.

He cried out to the Lord,
and asked for a better understanding of His Word.
May my cry come before you, LORD;
give me understanding according to your word.
(Psalms 119:169)

He asked that his prayers would be heard by God
as he requested deliverance from his sinfulness
(which is the promise from God for those who are repentant).
May my supplication [prayer] come before you;
deliver me according to your promise. (Psalms 119:170)

When we are truly repentant, it means we have made a decision
to go in the opposite direction from where we have been going.
In other words, if we have been choosing to do something
ungodly (ignoring how God feels about it), we have now
made a new decision to avoid it completely going forward.

When determining what is displeasing to God,
we can search the scriptures, and we can ask ourselves,
“Would I be doing this if Jesus was sitting
in the room with me, and would I offer it to Him?”

He praised Him for being his God and asked Him
to teach him the consequences of his sinful actions.
May my lips overflow with praise,
for you teach me your decrees. (Psalms 119:171)

He sang songs to God,
and rejoiced that His commands were fair.
May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous. (Psalms 119:172)

Since he had chosen to repent for disobeying God’s
guidelines, he asked God to help him in his efforts
to avoid his sinfulness in the future.
May your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts. (Psalms 119:173)

He developed a new appreciation for God’s laws,
and wanted assurance of his salvation.
He knew that salvation came from the Lord,
so he went directly to Him with his request.
The Psalmist may have been “longing for” salvation
from the sin that kept creeping back into his life.
I long for your salvation, LORD,
and your law gives me delight. (Psalms 119:174)

We see the effects of his true repentance:
he wanted to live in a new way that would be
governed by God’s laws, and would bring praise to Him.
Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me. (Psalms 119:175)

ACTION:
Perhaps you have drifted away from the Lord and
allowed things into your life that are displeasing to Him.
In your heart you know they are wrong, but you may have
cleverly justified them so you could fulfill your selfish desires.

It could be a bad habit (alcohol, drugs, pornography, anger,
lying, etc.), an illicit affair (fornication – that not only affects
you, but is embarrassing to family members and causes others
to question your relationship with the Lord),
or anything else outside of God’s guidelines.

When we love the Lord, we have a desire to please Him.
How do you know you love Him?
The Bible answers that question:
“If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15)

If you are not living as close to the Lord as you should be,
then do what the Psalmist did:
repent and make an honest and sincere decision
to follow the path He has created for all believers.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I no longer feel your presence as I did
at one time. I know that You remain the same, so I admit
that I have made bad choices that are not pleasing to You.
I repent of those decisions and I have a new desire to prove
my love for You by keeping Your commands. Please hear
my prayers and restore the closeness that I long for, and help
me to point others to You by the way I live. Forgive me for
those I have damaged as a result of my sinful choices in the
past. Create a joy and peace in my heart as I live the life You
desire of me.”