One summer in eighth grade a friend and I decided to do some rafting on the Middle River. We had heard about “loop” on the river that was supposed to take a couple of hours start to finish. We arrived, blew up the raft, and headed downriver. About four hours later, we started to get a little nervous. At five hours we were scared about what lay ahead. We finally came to a bridge and got off the river. We did the only thing we could. We found a farmhouse, knocked on the door, and when a lady showed up, we asked, “Where are we?” We found out that our destination was-six hours down river going the wrong way! We had gotten on the river at the end of the loop, not the beginning. Our bad decision had taken us farther than we wanted–to a destination we never intended.

Sin is the same way. It will take you where you don’t intentionally want to go, and much further than you ever intended. Repentance is all about knowing that you are going the wrong way in your life and doing something about it. It is acknowledging and confessing that the way you are living does not match up with God. In Hebrew, “repentance” literally means to change your direction. Repentance consists of two steps: being convicted of how horrible the sin is in comparison to God’s Holiness, and desiring to be in the presence of God so much you are willing to turn from that sin. Someone who truly repents, makes and unmistakable U-turn!

There is one crucial thing about the act of repentance in a Christ follower’s life. You simply cannot stop sinning on your own, you need a relationship with your Heavenly Father to keep you living a life that is consistent with Him. Repentance is about entering into the deepest possible relationship with God. You desire Him and being in His presence is your greatest passion. You come to a place where you cannot live without His presence in your life and you allow Him to change and transform your direction in every day life.

David knew what repentance was. After his sin with Bathsheba, he found himself heading down river. He was heading to a place he did not want to go, much further than he ever intended, and away from everything he valued. When confronted, David acknowledged his sin and confessed his wrong thinking and actions. His path to repentance is found in Psalm 51. We find David asking for God’s forgiveness and pleading with God to not hold this against him. He asks God to come near and bring a freshness to what had become callous. Verses 7-12 display his passion to be in the presence of his God.

As you read and reread Psalm 51, what do you find you identify with the most? Do you find yourself heading downriver, farther than you wanted, to a place you do not want to go? Has the presence of God become something you remember but do not experience today? Does sin sadden you for you know it is not God’s desire? What can you do? No matter where you find yourself, you can have the presence of God in your life. Repentance is the path to that relationship. Allow some time for the Holy Spirit of God to work in your heart and prepare you for a freshness and restoration of worship that comes when we surrender our will to Him. Let’s enter the river of God’s blessing and presence, going the right way!

KEY QUESTION: Is your heart prepared for God to use you?