July 17, 2026 – Repentance

Prevail #198 – Larson draws from the book in the Bible of Joel to open our eyes to our sin and God’s goodness, “[Joel] went from calling for repentance, with a warning about the impending judgment, to charging the people not to fear. He even said, , ‘Be glad now. For the Lord has done great things.’ [Joel 2:21] Joel wanted the people to remember two things about God: He’s holy and He’s good.”

Here’s the key part of her message in my opinion: “The Israelites would never know God’s profound goodness until they came to grips with their capacity to defy Him. We’ll never be free from sin that we refuse to acknowledge. And we’ll never truly experience the depths of His goodness until we come to grips with the depths of our need for Him. But when we are sincerely, truly sorry for our wandering ways, and when we repent (have a change of heart and a change of mind), times of refreshing do come.* But we can’t have it both ways. We’ll either enjoy a season of sin that may ultimately destroy us, or we’ll enjoy the refreshing, reviving, never-ending spring of God’s goodness as we stay in the flow of His love.”

JC – “Come away with Me for a while. The world, with its nonstop demands, can be put on hold. Most people put Me on hold, rationalizing that someday they will find time to focus on Me. But the longer people push Me into the background of their lives, the harder it is for them to find Me…. I have called you to follow Me on a solitary path, making time alone with Me your highest priority and deepest Joy…. Moreover, as you walk close with Me, I can bless others through you.” See Song of Songs 2:13 and Luke 10:42.

Power – Proverbs 15:4 KJV – A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but a perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. Joyce points out that our words as well as our actions can cause us to sin leading to the need for repentance: “It would be a wonderful world to live in if we all followed the rule that tells us to either say something good or don’t say anything at all. Just imagine how pleasant our homes, schools, jobs, churches, and society in general would be. It might even be equivalent to heaven on Earth!”

She reminds us, “There is a simple rule you can follow to guide you in your conversation: If it is good, uplifting, wholesome, and pleasant, say all you want to; but if it is evil, negative, critical, and complaining, don’t say it. [I would add: don’t even think on it because it will likely eventually spill out of your mouth – this I know! Change the subject in your mind and don’t ruminate on things that will hurt others and yourself, now or eventually. Well, I didn’t need to interrupt Joyce’s flow and should have just kept reading because she concludes with this similar thought.] What is in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth, so you cannot change what you say unless you change what you think. Ask God to change your heart so there is not even a hint of wanting to say something negative.”

That is a very helpful suggestion/directive that I really hadn’t thought of in the way she stated it. I think I tend to ask God to help me change my heart rather than just asking Him to do it, which assures success if I will submit to His work in me. I guess it’s that (misguided) mentality of “I don’t want to burden God with things I think I can do myself.” I’m willing to fully submit and wait for God make the changes, but sometimes the Bible says we have to put our feet in the water before it will part. Lord, help me to know the difference.

Utmost – 1 Corinthians 2:4 – My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words. Chambers explains that “The creative power of the Redemption comes through the preaching of the Gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher…. [who] is there as the representative of God…. He is there to present the Gospel, not human ideals. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get anywhere near Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the Gospel will end in making me a traitor to Jesus; I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work. ‘I, if I be lifted up…, will draw all men unto Me.'”

Days – By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Heb. x. 14). Simpson asks, “Are you missing what belongs to you? He has promised to sanctify you…. Jesus is my sanctification. Having Him I have obedience, rest, patience and everything I need. He is alive forevermore. If you have Him nothing can be against you. Your temptations will not be against you; your bad temper will not be against you…. All things henceforth will work together for good to your own soul. Since God is for you nothing can be against you.”

JA – “BLESSED ARE THOSE who have learned to acclaim Me. The word ‘acclaim’ means to express enthusiastic approval. This is not the natural inclination of mankind. It is something you need to learn – and practice. Begin with your thoughts…. Learn to think great thoughts of Me and to express them enthusiastically. The Psalms provide excellent instruction in this quest. To acclaim Me also means to acknowledge My excellence publicly…. I want you to let your light shine before before men; tell them the wonders of who I am – and all I have done….” See Psalm 89:15 and Matthew 5:14.

Streams – Isaiah 18:4 – I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place. Cowman shares from Daily Devotional Commentary, “Is the Lord being quiet with you? Nevertheless, He is attentive and sees everything He has His finger on your pulse and is extremely sensitive to even the slightest change. And He will come to save you when the perfect moment has arrived.”

Max understands delays and offers this reminder, “Read the story of the persistent widow in Luke’s gospel (18:1-8), and you might wonder, What is this story doing in the Bible?” …Is God a reluctant judge? Are we the marginalized widow? Is prayer a matter of pestering God until he breaks down and gives us what we want?”

Max asks the questions we have at times (about so many things in the Bible and in life) and thankfully offers this explanation, “No, this is a parable of contrast, not comparison. God is not the reluctant judge in this story. And you are not the widow. The widow in the story had nowhere to turn. But as a child of the King, you are at the front of the line. You, at any moment, can turn to God. God doesn’t delay. He never places you on hold or tells you to call again later. God loves the sound of your voice. Always. He doesn’t hide when you call. He hears your prayers.”

JL – “My great God, Sometimes I hesitate to receive Joy from You, even though I know You have limitless supplies of it. Please help me to receive Your Joy in full measure – opening wide my arms in Your Presence. I’ve found that the more I rest with You, the more freely Your blessings flow into me…. In the Light of Your Love, I am gradually being transformed from one degree of Glory to another…. O Lord, I long to be still in Your Presence – and know that You are God. In Your blessed Name, Jesus, Amen.”

*See Acts 3:19.