Mark 1:14 Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the good news of God the time has come he said the Kingdom of God is near; Repent and believe the good news.

The word repent is a word i have heard alot since coming to church. I always thought it meant to turn away from what you are doing. However the word in Mark 1:14 that says repent is a greek word meta noia …meta which means change and noia which means mind. It makes sense in the story of the prodigal son now since in Luke 15:17 it says “When he came to his senses, he said, how many of my fathers hired men have food to spare and here i am starving to death.”

This is classic circumstances helping a person to have a change of mind. God uses circumstances so much to get our attention. The lost son’s thoughts were let me spend my inheritance the way i want to and do my own thing. So much like us in so many ways. The prodigal son had a change of mind he realized what he was doing was not getting him the results he desired and then came to his senses and changed his mind and purposed to return back home to his father.

Its the perfect picture of us in so many ways we have it in our heads we know best. When circumstances change we are ready to change our minds and listen to God. I am so hard headed 99% of the time. Aren’t you?? I do things my own way then God says to me let me show you a better way. Romans 12:1-2 says do not conformto this world…conform is outside pressures in…but be transformed…that is inside out. Transformation comes from the inside out. Transformation only comes though the renewing of your mind. That can only be done by a work of the Holy Spirit to remove stinkin thinkin. Thinks helps pave the way for a mind change.

If you cook an egg you first use a wisk to beat the egg yolks together. After you pour the eggs on the pan you need a spatula to turn the eggs over. After the eggs are done you need a fork to eat the eggs. The eggs change through heat, and activity both external and internal however the way we deal with the eggs also changes. You can’t use a wisk to turn the eggs over in the pan if you are making an omelett. You need a spatula…a different tool to hand the eggs differently. Once they are cooked you need a fork a different tool to hand the eggs once again. Three different tools used to handle the eggs.

I say all that to say that over time God gives us a change of mind we can no longer do what we used to do the same way. We need to rethink and have a change of mind and retool. We need that change of mind that repentance to rethink the way we do things and change them into His desires. That comes from the inside out and that comes through a renewed relationship with a living and powerful God who in an instant can retool and reshape forever the way we deal with our eggs. Ask God for that change of mind, the repentance that will retool the way you see and do everything He will do it for you. Give Him the chance!!!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 3:39 pm and is filed under Devotionals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.