Jane sat across from me at the dining room table, sipping the soup I’d prepared for our lunch. Tears dashed down her cheeks when she explained that her daughter, only 14 years old, was madly in love with a 30-year-old man.
“She doesn’t realize the dangers,” Jane said. “I’ve pleaded with her to wait until she’s older. I’ve forbidden them to date, but she’s relentless about seeing this man. There seems to be no way of stopping her or even slowing her down…. and now she’s pregnant.”
Jane’s concerns reminded me of how God pleads with His error-prone children. “Repent,” Scripture says. “Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live” (Ezekiel 18:30-32).
Can you hear God pleading in those words? They drip with love and concern for us. Many times He sounds like a parent pleading with a daughter or a son…. and He yearns for His words to have impact. He wants to humble us and make us more teachable so we can live.
Do you realize repentance is a gift?
Thank God for Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross annihilated sin’s hold on us and reconciles us with our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit brings to remembrance what we need to confess and reminds us that the passage of time alone does not erase sin (just because we’ve forgotten about a transgression doesn’t mean it’s been forgiven).
Unconfessed sin is deadly, so stop! Listen to God! Heed the pleading voice that gives you warning. Maybe it’s a Scripture verse. Maybe it’s the voice of your mother, a pastor, or a dear Christian friend. They’re trying to keep you from destruction and death.
Let’s thank God for those who will plead with us to confess our sins, be cleansed, and live forgiven.











