As we pass the halfway point and continue to pursue the invitation of Lent, it’s worth taking time to ask the Lord to search our hearts:
Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.“
Given our capacity for self-deception (Jeremiah 17:9), it’s worth praying this and seeking the Lord on this. It’s not about condemnation but about reality. And with reality, we can take action. Repentance is an opportunity to put to death our sin and its judgment on the cross. Then we are called into new life. When we become aware of sin, we can bring it to Jesus, ask forgiveness and ask for the renewal of our minds and lives.
Repentant Hearts: Where Death is Part of the Process
We cannot contain God, control God or see Him as a slot machine. Sometimes His ways are perplexing, confusing and deeply unsettling. In the story of Lazarus (John 11), where he died and Jesus brought him back, some common questions we ask are: Why did Jesus delay? Why all that suffering and grief? Why did Lazarus have to go through that (and probably not want to come back!)?
It is for the glory of God that the Son may be glorified through it. And he was: many came to believe at that point. The one through whom all things came to be can deal with death and overcome it.
So as we prepare our hearts to rejoice in the forthcoming Easter season, let’s be open to God putting things to death in us that He might call forth new life.
His light, the light of the world, can help us see the truth. By God’s grace, we can grow in freedom, light and truth. It results in worship and thanksgiving.
Here’s a Lenten heart invitation:
ask the Lord to search your heart this week.