Thought of the Day !!

Again and again, the LORD has sent you his prophets, but you have not listened or even tried to hear. Each time the message was this: 'Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing.
Jeremiah 25:4-5

This sounds a lot like the message of John the Baptist, Jesus, and later Peter. The message here is to repent, or turn from our sins.

Repentance is important in our lives. Sometimes it can take a lot of hard work and time. I don't think God expects the people, that He knows are imperfect, to be sinners one day and totally the opposite the next. I do believe, however, that God expects us to try...to work at it every day.

The key to working at it every day is to allow God to help us. We shouldn't try to repent on our own. God's grace is there to help us, which means that if we will ask for His help, He'll be more than happy to oblige. I'm reminded of that cigarette commercial where the cartoon character is trying to quit cold turkey and can't do it. The voice over says to him that he didn't start smoking in one day, that it happened over time. So why should he expect to quit overnight. The commercial is about a phone number to get help with the addiction.

Sin is an addiction that we need help with. The Bible states plainly over and over that we must repent. But I don't believe that God intended on the message to be to repent on your own and then I'll take care of you. As long as we're trying, and asking God for His help, we can wear this addiction down. And in the end, we will win the fight. With Jesus in our corner encouraging us on, we can do anything.

In the love of Christ,
greg