Do You Want What God`s Provided?

God has provided a very special means of our receiving His grace, mercy, healing and deliverance - all of which are aspects of the wonderful salvation that is talked about in both the Old and the New Testaments. Repentance and rest are not just a formula that has to be followed in order to get something out of God, but they are the way of life that God has laid down for sinful people to receive His eternal blessings.

In verse 18 of Isaiah 30, the Scripture tells us that "the Lord longs to be gracious to you." What an incredible picture this paints in my mind of a loving Father longing to be a blessing to His children. This is the picture Jesus painted with words in His story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus described how the son who had gone off to sow his wild oats in a far country had to get to the end of himself before realising that there was another and better way.

In Scripture God has shown us that when we review our lives in the light of His Word, and then come to Him in true repentance and rest, we will know the blessing of His salvation promises. How sad it must make God to know that He has prepared such a wonderful solution for us in all the issues of life, and yet so often we choose to try and fix our lives outside of Him and His provision. It`s as if we are saying to God, "I want none of it!"

Let`s meditate carefully on today`s Scripture and then spend some personal time with the Lord, learning how the twin keys of repentance and rest can transform our lives by dealing with our past, transforming our present and preparing us for a new future in Him.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the incredible salvation You have provided for Your people. I`m sorry for the times I have not wanted to live life in Your way. Help me to pray through my life so that I may come afresh to You in true repentance and know the blessings of being at rest in You. In Jesus`s Name, Amen.