Isaiah 55:6-9
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
“… let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. …”
The season of Lent is typically time for self-examination and reflection. It’s also the season of repentance. After a thorough look at oneself, sinfulness becomes apparent. Like everyone, our relationship with God has been marred by our disobedience to God’s commands, our faithlessness in following Jesus, and our neglect of the Holy Spirit’s presence within. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” the Scriptures tell us.
That’s why repentance is necessary. Turning away from our sin and returning to the Lord is the way to restoration of our relationship with the Almighty. Because God is merciful and willingly pardons, we can be assured that, when we confess our sins and repent of them, God’s favor will rest upon us.
We are reminded, of course, that God’s love transcends our transgressions, and that God’s mercy is with us prior to confession and repentance. However, to examine ourselves, recognize and admit our sinfulness, and obediently seek to repent and return to the Lord, is to grow more fully into a right relationship with our God. When we repent, we endeavor to seek the Lord more ardently and follow the Lord more closely. Together, those acts naturally draw us nearer the One who delivers us.
PrayerL Almighty God, You are merciful and willingly pardon our sins even before we ask. Forgive me, Lord, for my sinfulness, especially those sins known only to you. I repent, and ask Your pardon of my iniquity. Amen.