The Book of LamentationsНамуна

THE LORD DESIRES OUR REPENTANCE 

Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? (Lamentations 5:20)

The greatest miracle in our lives happens when we repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. We meet the Lord and experience our first love for Him. Someone who experiences this first love will show his thirst and hunger for the Lord. He will be so in love with the Lord that, if possible, he would be at church each time its doors are open. 

Israel has enjoyed the fruits of the Promised Land where Abraham became the first Father of Israel. However, more victories and successes made them forget the Lord who had brought Abraham, their ancestor, to that place. Maybe they didn’t forget the Lord immediately, but just slowly forgot the Lord. The same thing might happen to us. Because of our busyness with so many things, slowly but surely we may begin to fade from the presence of the Lord.

What happened to Israel at that time? The Lord surrendered them to their desires. God's protection was lifted from Israel so that their land was finally conquered by their enemies. Israel suffered. Didn’t God care for them?

God wanted Israel to repent, not for blessings. The repentance God wanted from them was to have their hearts turn to Him, to seek Him, worship Him, and obey Him.. 

We must always introspect and evaluate ourselves to check the depth of our love for God. Do we still experience that first love? Do we still feel the strong presence of God in our prayers? Or, on the contrary, do we feel that we are so far away from the Lord and that the Lord has left us?

Too often, we are the ones who leave the Lord. We often forget the Lord because we are more interested in our busyness and the desires of our hearts. 

If this is you, do not delay and do not wait for tomorrow. Return to Him immediately. Our repentance before Him will restore our heart. The Lord is even able to return the things that we have lost.

Our time in the desert will be over sooner if we cling to Him.