Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…
Acts 3:19
The son of King Ahaz was called Shear-jashub, which means “a remnant shall return.” The House of David had to eat curds and honey, the food of poverty, because the invading Assyrian army decimated the countryside. They learned, however, through this difficult time to “refuse evil and choose good.” Shear-jashub represents the return of the remnant back to the Lord and thus back to a time of prosperity. (Isaiah 10) The Lord has promised throughout the ages that if we turn from evil and seek to obey the Lord, He will bring us back from captivity. There has always been a faithful remnant who has continued to turn to the Lord. I pray that we will all be a part of the faithful! Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and said that He longed to gather the chicks like a mother hen. He longed to draw the Jews to Himself, the well of salvation, a place of security, peace, and deliverance.
The people of Jerusalem rejected Jesus just as the people of Isaiah’s time had rejected God.
Let us be a people who are willing to go forth with joy, drawing from the well of salvation as a part of the faithful remnant. (Isaiah 12:3) As we repent and daily turn to the Lord, He will refresh us. When I sin against the Lord and others and turn back to Him in prayer and repentance, I imagine a huge waterfall raining down on me washing and refreshing my weary soul.
Do you need to stand under the waterfall of his grace?
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of repentance. Thank you that You will wash and cleanse me from my sins. Just as I bathe every day, help me to wash in Your cleansing Word. Jesus told His disciples that they were cleansed by His words: “you are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3) Cleanse me with Your Word and lead me to new life.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
