Repentance can be challenging for everyone. Humbling ourselves before God and surrendering our thoughts and ideas to Him may be hard, but it is what God asks of us. In Joel chapter 1, it states that Israel must cry out to God and humble themselves. Their sins had caused severe calamities, and Joel urged them to gather the people. Joel was calling them to awaken to the reality of why these terrible plagues were happening to them.
Joel called them to examine themselves before God, and in Psalms it says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalms 139:23-24 NLT). We want God to search us and see if there is anything sinful in us—this can be difficult and requires surrender and humility. We need to surrender whatever sin He might find in us—completely and totally giving it up—this is repentance.
“Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish” (Joel 2:13 NLT). This verse is a heartfelt call from God to genuine repentance and to return to the Lord. God’s discipline always directs us back to Him. God is so merciful to us, just as He was to the children of Israel. They kept making mistakes, but He kept sending prophets to call for repentance and revival. And that is what we need today: true, heartfelt repentance, a searching of the heart, and Holy Spirit revival.
In Revelation 3, it speaks to our actual condition, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot…” (Revelation 3:15). Wow! How easy it can be to become lukewarm. How often do we get focused on the passing pleasures of this world and lose focus on heavenly things? God knows our works, in public or private; He knows everything! He wants us to repent from hidden sins and let Him transform us. What God says next is even more disturbing! It is a wake-up call. “…I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16). God wants us to be on fire for Him, but how often is our focus on something else? Whatever it may be: sports, money, or even our work.
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). God describes us as in a terrible state. He has diagnosed us with a severe lack of heavenly treasure. In heavenly means we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. And that is exactly where Satan wants us. He does not want us to repent, surrender, and refocus our lives. God doesn’t leave us without hope, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:18). We need heavenly eye salve so we can see what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us. We need heavenly treasure desperately. So, God gives us much-needed counsel, and then He calls us to repentance. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).
God loves us, and that is precisely why He disciplines us. That is exactly why He disciplined the children of Israel so many centuries ago. It is for our benefit. It is so we can see our great need and recognize it: our need for Jesus. And Jesus gives us this most amazing promise. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:20-21).
Call to Action
Jesus is knocking on our hearts. He wants to come in and transform us. He wants us to humble ourselves before Him and surrender our thoughts and actions. Just as Joel called the children of Israel to repentance, through God’s Holy Word, He is calling us to repentance today. Even though we are in such an awful state right now, Jesus can transform us.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Unless noted otherwise, scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
