Tag Archives: Recovery

Recovery After Repentance

EmilysQuotes_Com-mistake-choice-Steven-Denn-decisionEpiphany
January 19, 2016

Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-10

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ –Nehemiah 8:9-10

Recovery after repentance, how does that work? Apparently it starts with fully putting our trust in God. Who would have thought? All our sack cloth and ashes, gnashing of teeth, and tears do not work. We may feel a need to do something symbolic to meet our own needs. With God repenting (turning around), grasping forgiveness, and taking the first steps on the right path is all God requires. The import act is trusting in God. I think it is really, really hard for we westerners to relinquish control in any situation to any entity. Perhaps it is just me, I am pretty stubborn. The paradox is that when we finally relinquish control to God, we get our lives back to pursue our purposes that God relishes and has woven into the fiber of God’s kingdom.

This stream runs throughout the Bible. Nathan confronts David of his sin, David repents and returns to his purpose, the prodigal son sees the error of his ways and returns home to the welcoming arms of his father. And in our scripture today the children of Israel, repent and celebrate not only their return to their land but their return to God.

The church needs to be very careful that it does not move away from God, define itself as righteousness, and visit its hypocrisy on others. I think Jesus meant it when he said, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. John 5:15

Prayer: Lord, nourish us and help us grow in your spirit and your truth that we show forth everyday as we live it in our lives. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Turn Around

turn aroundAdvent
November 26, 2014

Scripture Reading: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. 

O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
   our enemies laugh among themselves.

 Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. — Psalm 80:1-7

Our Psalm today indicates that the people of God have reached the point of recognizing their transgressions and realize they are in need of a Savior. Recognition and confession of a problem is step one in any recovery program, but saying it and internalizing it may be two different things.  Old habits are really hard to break. We know what we need to do but knowing and doing are two entirely different things.

The saddest thing is that we may wallow in our own castigation, we may be shamed by the reaction of others to our lives, but we don’t take the one step that is necessary to initiate the help that has been there all along. We do not turn around. When we sense that God has turned God’s back on us, the truth is most likely the other way around. We have turned our back to God. To be restored we must turn back to God.

God can and will cleanse us of whatever it is that is keeping us from being the person God created us to be. The closer we get to being that person the closer we will get to being whole.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God,
                   and put a new and right spirit within me.
             Do not cast me away from your presence,
                   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
            Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
                  and sustain in me a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12). Amen.