Day Fifteen

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:10 KJV

The first time I studied this particular chapter in the book of Luke, I was amazed at the heart of God. How God easily forgives.
But I still didn't have much understanding of what the Scriptures meant. What does it mean to repent?
Repentance simply means to reconsider or think differently about something. Repenting of sins means to think differently about those things.

 When we start to see things in light of what God sees, then repentance can happen. Repentance is not just about repenting from what we call sin. Or doing wrong. Repentance is also changing how we think about a particular subject. The Bible calls it sin when we don't do what we know we are supposed to do.

I will surely not stop praying for you, because that would be sinning against the Lord . I will teach you what is good and right.
1 Samuel 12:23 NCV

Prayer is not a suggestion. God actually instructs us to pray on multiple occasions.
Somebody would ask, "What is wrong with not praying?"
If prayer means spending time with God, not praying is the exact opposite of that.
And Samuel called it sin if he didn't pray. The Scripture above teaches us that sin isn't just the wrongful acts we sometimes do. But even not doing what we know we ought to.

 Perhaps there's been times the Lord wanted you to pray for somebody and you didn't obey His voice. Or many other times when you know God wanted you to do something and you didn't do it. God never forces us to pray. An instruction isn't forcing anyone to do something they don't like. But I realize that obeying instructions draws us closer to God.

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Proverbs 23:12 NIV

The Scripture above is so beautiful. I like the wording. The bible says, "Apply your heart"  This shows that we have to purposely choose to obey the instructions in the word of God. How does this apply to repentance you might ask? Remember we learned that to repent simply means to think differently about something or to reconsider? When we learn to understand that the word of God contains God's instructions, we'll be more determined to repent from sins.

The sins of commission and the sins of omission.
 Sins of omission are things we should do that we don't do while sins of commission are things that we shouldn't do that we do anyway.
Like in the Scripture I shared in first Samuel. Not praying would be a sin of omission.
And a sin of commission would be committing fornication. 

Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
Proverbs 9:9 NIV

What marvelous blessing it is to receive an instruction from the Lord. When we receive instructions as believers, we become wiser.
 Every instruction in the Bible is for our benefit. 

Prayer: In the name, Glorious Father, we praise Yourmajestic name. Every day we acknowledge that Your greatness and Your goodnessare unsearchable. We ask that You keep open the floodgates of Your mercy,amazing grace and peace so that all Your people may enjoy Your goodness in theland of the living. We thank You for the daily expression of Your compassion,patience and forgiveness upon all Your creation. In Your mercy, we ask You toheal the sick, to strengthen the weak, to comfort those who are mourning, tofind the lost, to liberate all the oppressed and to restore hope upon thehopeless. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen