Repentance Prepares the Way
This week, we will be exploring the idea of repentance. Today, we are specifically focusing on preparing the way for the Lord through repentance. Let’s start off with prayer so that our hearts can be ready to receive what God wants us to hear today:
Dear Jesus, thank You for making the way for us to be in relationship with You through Your death and resurrection. I acknowledge that You are God, and I invite Your presence into my heart this day. Help me learn how to better prepare the way for You! Amen.
Matthew 3:1-3 (NLT)
1In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’
When I was young, my parents practiced hospitality frequently, and I remember the mad dash of us cleaning the house before visitors would arrive. I prided myself on scrubbing every single surface until they reflected the light perfectly. It felt good to welcome our guests into a clean, refreshing home. I carried this with me into adulthood, where every night before my husband comes home from a long, hard day at work, I enlist the help of my kids to prepare the house for his coming. They clear away their multitude of toys so that a human can actually walk through the house, while I prepare the kitchen. Our goal is when Daddy walks through the door, he feels welcomed, refreshed, and honored to be there. What preparations do you go through before welcoming someone into your home?
Just as we often go through a process of preparing our homes to welcome guests, our hearts are the same. Chaos reigns in our external spaces if we don’t clean them periodically, and sin and wrong thinking inevitably pile up in our hearts if we don’t turn our spiritual eyes inward. In the same way that we want to welcome guests or loved ones into a clean house, we need to prepare our hearts for our God to reign. What preparations do you think are needed for a holy God to fully take up residence in your heart?
Christ died on the cross for our sins, and His forgiveness is freely available to us for the once-and-for-all salvation of our souls, as well as for our daily sanctification. All we need to do is humble ourselves, repent from our sins, and take hold of His free gift for ourselves! I love the definition of the word “repent” that the Ellicott’s Commentary gives: “a change of mind and purpose.” It implies that we should recognize our sin as wrongdoing, actively turn from it, and change our ways for a better purpose. How often do you spend time in inward assessment, looking around the space of our hearts for things that need cleaning up and clearing away?
Our God is a holy God, and cannot coexist with sin. But when we turn from our former ways, claim our righteousness from His Son, Jesus Christ, and make room for Him, He gladly comes into our hearts and takes up residence. I will never forget a Sunday School teacher telling us, “God is a gentleman. He will never barge into the spaces of your heart if you don’t make room for Him.” We need to give Him the honor that He is due by throwing open the doors to all parts of our hearts, and allowing Him to reign freely! How can you better “prepare the way for the Lord..clear the road for Him?” (verse 3).
Carve out some time today to look around the space of your heart. Have you surrendered your heart to the only One who deserves to reign there?
God, please help me to repent as You need me to today…
Lord, give me Your grace to clean up the daily sin and clutter of my life to prepare the way for You…
May your heart be ever more prepared this week to house its King, Jesus!
Dear Jesus, thank You for making the way for us to be in relationship with You through Your death and resurrection. I acknowledge that You are God, and I invite Your presence into my heart this day. Help me learn how to better prepare the way for You! Amen.
Matthew 3:1-3 (NLT)
1In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’
When I was young, my parents practiced hospitality frequently, and I remember the mad dash of us cleaning the house before visitors would arrive. I prided myself on scrubbing every single surface until they reflected the light perfectly. It felt good to welcome our guests into a clean, refreshing home. I carried this with me into adulthood, where every night before my husband comes home from a long, hard day at work, I enlist the help of my kids to prepare the house for his coming. They clear away their multitude of toys so that a human can actually walk through the house, while I prepare the kitchen. Our goal is when Daddy walks through the door, he feels welcomed, refreshed, and honored to be there. What preparations do you go through before welcoming someone into your home?
Just as we often go through a process of preparing our homes to welcome guests, our hearts are the same. Chaos reigns in our external spaces if we don’t clean them periodically, and sin and wrong thinking inevitably pile up in our hearts if we don’t turn our spiritual eyes inward. In the same way that we want to welcome guests or loved ones into a clean house, we need to prepare our hearts for our God to reign. What preparations do you think are needed for a holy God to fully take up residence in your heart?
Christ died on the cross for our sins, and His forgiveness is freely available to us for the once-and-for-all salvation of our souls, as well as for our daily sanctification. All we need to do is humble ourselves, repent from our sins, and take hold of His free gift for ourselves! I love the definition of the word “repent” that the Ellicott’s Commentary gives: “a change of mind and purpose.” It implies that we should recognize our sin as wrongdoing, actively turn from it, and change our ways for a better purpose. How often do you spend time in inward assessment, looking around the space of our hearts for things that need cleaning up and clearing away?
Our God is a holy God, and cannot coexist with sin. But when we turn from our former ways, claim our righteousness from His Son, Jesus Christ, and make room for Him, He gladly comes into our hearts and takes up residence. I will never forget a Sunday School teacher telling us, “God is a gentleman. He will never barge into the spaces of your heart if you don’t make room for Him.” We need to give Him the honor that He is due by throwing open the doors to all parts of our hearts, and allowing Him to reign freely! How can you better “prepare the way for the Lord..clear the road for Him?” (verse 3).
Carve out some time today to look around the space of your heart. Have you surrendered your heart to the only One who deserves to reign there?
God, please help me to repent as You need me to today…
Lord, give me Your grace to clean up the daily sin and clutter of my life to prepare the way for You…
May your heart be ever more prepared this week to house its King, Jesus!
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