God Wants You to Repent
Matthew 11:20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent.
I regularly make the point of reading through one of the Gospel accounts – Matthew, Mark, Luke or John – in my own, personal Bible reading each morning.
I tend to cycle between an Old Testament narrative, then on to one of the wisdom books, Psalms, Proverbs, Lamentations, then one of the Prophets, then to a New Testament Epistle, the letters, and then always, back to one of the Gospels. Doing that kind of gives me a sense of the rich diversity of what God is saying to me through His Word. It’s a good habit to have.
And every time I come back to one of the Gospels – right now, I’m immersed in John’s Gospel – the miracles that Jesus performed just, how can I put it, rock my socks off.
I mean, reading about them two thousand years on is amazing enough. But imagine actually having been there. Having actually witnessed these amazing things that Jesus did.
He performed a lot of miracles and most of them were healings. Okay, He turned water into wine, fed the thousands, stilled storms … but mostly He healed lepers, gave the blind their sight, made the lame to walk, cast out demons.
So … what was the point? Well of course the people He healed were hugely blessed. But in doing those things, He was trying to say something to the people who witnessed them and indeed, to you and me, here and now.
Jesus was showing them and us, the amazing love and incredible power of God with one purpose: to convince them and us to believe in Him and to turn our lives back to Him. In fact He really got stuck into the cities which’d seen His deeds of power and yet didn’t have a change of heart – the places where people didn’t repent.
Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. (Matthew 11:20)
Chances are you’ve seen God do some pretty amazing things in your life. I certainly have in mine. Over and over again. And at the time, they have a huge impact on us. It kind of rocks you back on your heels when you realise that God just stepped into your life, supernaturally, and did something that really mattered to you.
Perhaps you’ve been healed, or you’ve seen a fractured relationship restored, or seen His supernatural provision when you desperately needed it. Whatever it is, it touches you profoundly, because you’ve just experienced the glory of God up close and personal.
But the reason He did those things, was to show you His love. The reason He did those things, was to call you back to Him. The reason He did those things, was to lead you to repentance.
Repent.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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