He will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. [Luke 1:16 NLT]
In these words spoken about John the Baptist, the Angel Gabriel could have said that John would turn many away from their sins. Instead, he phrased it differently. I love that he spoke about turning to God rather than turning from sin. This "turning to" is, to me, is the true and essential meaning of repentance.
Repentance is not the the turning over of a new leaf. It is not making a resolution to do, or not do, something. To repent is to turn to God. To accept, by the grace of God, His invitation to walk with Him. When I did that, when I turned to God in prayer, my life was changed and my world was turned upside down.
My relationship with God changed everything in my life and it still does. He is the spiritual air that I breathe and the hope that I have. My days are filled with conversations with him. I sense his presence in the mundane and in the sublime. I cannot imagine what my life would be without God in my life.
Cause us to turn to you Lord and to be filled with your Spirit as we turn.
... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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