2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 33:1-29 ESV, Luke 13:1-21 ESV, Psalm 78:65-72 ESV, Proverbs 12:25 ESV
Daily Verse: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:5 ESV)
METANOEO (3340): “To think differently or afterward, i.e., reconsider. Always, in the NT involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always except in Lk 17:3, 4 of ‘repentance’ from sin.”[i]
Make a U-turn
Repent means changing your mind. Instead of believing one thing, now you think another. One day you believe Christ didn’t die on the cross, then you believe He did. Deciding to follow Jesus means you changed your mind. Instead of making yourself the center of the world, Jesus becomes your core.
Every time I take a step of faith, I’m saying no to self, yes to God. When I confess to my husband, “Honey, I’m over budget,” I do it because of God. I consider the Big Guy my boss. God’s guidelines on marriage haven’t changed: husbands, love like Jesus, wives submit to hubby. When a man loves you like Jesus, you have no problem submitting. Ron loves me like Jesus. But I still have to say no to myself.
Control the choice.
Ron and I ride our bikes to church; two possible routes to the destination exist. We decided which way we would take on our first Sunday before we left. When we crossed the road, I went right, Ron left. Immediately, Ron realized he had gone the wrong way, so he turned around. That’s all it takes to repent. Stop, turn and go the other way.
When you place your faith in Jesus, you make a U-turn. First, determine your direction, then decide if you like what you see. I left being a Flight Attendant because I saw its toll on the body. Looking at the senior Flight Attendants gave me insight into my future. I didn’t like what I saw, so I left. I made a decision and turned my life in a different direction. Now, looking back, I see God’s hand clearly, but I didn’t realize it.
Change your mind today. Turn around and follow Jesus. Let the worry go; give it to the Lord. Rest in Him today. In God, you can trust.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 162) Thomas Nelson
