Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19 (KJV).

REFLECT:
It could be quite amazing and unimaginable the unlikely ways that our long sort for freedom, deliverance, open doors, opportunities, and breakthroughs could come to us.

One of the trials we face as human beings on the earth is the susceptibility to problems. It does not matter if such problems are considered big, humongous, small, insignificant, manageable, overpowering, short-lived, protracted, etc. All we know is problems are still seen as the same thing. They cause discomfort, and as humans, we abhor any kind of suffering.

The reason is those problems, trials, and tribulations, whether they are big or small are the mechanisms employed by hell to make sure we are held bound or limited in every way possible to express ourselves in the way God created us to be. As a result of the effects and trauma from such problems, we always feel this sense of constraint, inhibition, and a lack of freedom or liberty that seems to prevent us from coming to our full potential.

However, God has provided us with solutions, strategies, and relief from such wicked devices the enemy tends to throw against us. These solutions and relief we can find in His Word are written in plain sight in the Bible.

For instance, Jesus knowing and understanding the effects of such problems, and how devastating they are to our lives encourages us in Mathew 11: 28 – 29, when He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” This Bible verse on its own offers us great relief and a solution to the problems we may be facing. Jesus calls us to complete rest and trust in His ability(s) to handle the situations or problems that we are experiencing.

Our Bible verse for today (Acts 3:19) also gives us some strategic insights to help us overcome the challenges and problems we face. This Bible verse walks us through a unique method of processing our freedom from such limitations and helps us come up victorious.

The unique method that is presented here is the act of repentance. That is if we sincerely, genuinely come to God in the name of our Lord Jesus with a contrite spirit and a broken heart, showing that we are sorry for whatever sins we have committed against a Holy and just God and asking for forgiveness. In doing this, we are assured of God’s unmerited grace and mercy to work on our behalf in bringing us out of every terrible situation.

So why should we engage ourselves in repentance or repenting? Here are a few reasons our Bible verse for today presents to us:

1. Repentance plays a very important role in setting us free from the enemy’s hold and vices and bringing us back in favor with God.
2. It moves God’s hands to show us mercy.
3. As a result, we receive grace and boldness to stand our ground against Satan’s evil plans.
4. It re-establishes us back to God’s intentions and purposes for our lives.
5. It allows us to cover lost grounds and regain lost blessings.

Furthermore, to completely go through with processing our freedom, we must make up our minds never to go back to the bad behavior responsible for sin. We must turn away completely from the act that got us into the vicious hold of the enemy, which gave him the legal right over us to have us bound in the first place.

Finally, we must also understand that repentance must never be used as a tool to want to get God to give us stuff, or have Him get us out of a bad situation fast. However, it must come from a place of a deep fear of the reverence, and righteous judgments of a Holy and just God. A God who is so Holy and pure and can never behold anything sinful.

When we genuinely come to God in repentance and for forgiveness, He remains true to Himself by meeting us the whole way with His mercy and compassion.

Ebimobo W. Obasi

PLEASE PRAY ALONG:

A Prayer of Thanks for God’s Forgiveness

FATHER GOD, I am so thankful that You don’t hold me to a standard of perfection. When I make a mistake, You accept and forgive me. You never give up on me—thank You. When I confess my wrongdoing, please help me avoid making the same mistakes again. I want to live a life that honors You. In JESUS MIGHTY NAME AMEN.