In flesh’s solitude, I count it blest
~Madeleine L’Engle
That only you, my Lord, can see my heart
With passion’s darkness tearing it apart
With storms of self, and tempests of unrest.
But your love breaks through blackness, bursts with lights.
We separate ourselves, but you rebind
In Dayspring all our fragments, body, mind,
And spirit join, unit against the night.
Healed by your love, corruption and decay
Are turned, and whole, we greet the light of day.
I love that line – “we separate ourselves, but you rebind!”
Continuing to contemplate the joy of repentance!
As we repent, our God rebinds. God uses circumstances of our lives to wean us from the idols we have relied on, and in those circumstances, we learn to confess. We repent of self-sufficiency, pride, and arrogance. In quieting ourselves, we surrender to God’s rule and reign in our lives.
“Father, I praise You because You are ’patient with [Your children], not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.'”
2 Peter 3:9 (paraphrased)
Thank You for Your patience with me.
Repentance is a fruit of faith —
Repentance is inseparable from faith —
“The New Testament word for repentance means changing one’s mind so that one’s views, values, goals, and ways are changed and one’s whole life is lived differently. The change is radical, both inwardly and outwardly; mind and judgment, will and affections, behavior and life-style, motives and purposes are all involved. Repenting means starting to live a new life.”
J.I. Packer
A Confession
Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind —
Psalm 26:2 NIV
My confession, the words in verse 2, “Test me, try me, examine my heart,” are hard for me to pray. And at the same time, I find such deep release and peace knowing that whatever the Spirit uncovers is safe in His hands! In confession, I can trust the gospel being applied to my heart!
There’s a song that follows this idea of testing and trying …
I’m learning now to trust His touch
To crave the fire’s embrace
For though my past with sin was etched
His mercies did erase
Each time His purging cleanses deeper
I’m not sure that I’ll survive
Yet the strength in growing weaker
Keeps my hungry soul aliveThe Refiner’s fire
Jon Mohr and Randall Dennis
Has now become my souls desire
Purged and cleansed and purified
That the Lord be glorified
He is consuming my soul
Refining me, making me whole
No matter what I may lose
I choose the Refiner’s fire
The last few months, but especially this past week, my heart has been heavy, grieving over the injustices, the hatred, the deep cultural wounds on display in the words and actions around us. I live in a safe, privileged, relatively easy bubble. My prayer is to let the mourning, grieving do its work and repent as God reveals my anger, prejudices, and attitudes towards my enemies.
“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved,
2 Corinthians 7:9-10
but because you were grieved into repenting.
… For godly grief produces a repentance
that leads to salvation without regret …
I choose the Refiner’s Fire!
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