Repentance, Rest, Redemption

Isaiah 29:1-30:18; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21; Psalm 107:1-9

“In repentance and rest is your salvation” (Isaiah 30:15). Repentance is an ongoing part of our Christian experience – 2 Corinthians 12:21 emphasizes the need for continuing repentance. We have been saved. We continue to sin. We must seek, by God’s grace, to maintain our repentance. Rest is part of our redemption in Christ.

To be “redeemed from the hand of the foe” (Psalm 107:2) means the beginning of rest, the beginning of deliverance from the oppressor. This does not mean that the perfect state has been reached. Still, there is “wandering in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle” (Psalm 107:4). In Christ, we have entered into our rest. Still, however, there is restlessness – a God-given restlessness – as we continue to hunger and thirst (Psalm 107:5) for “a city where they could settle” (Psalm 107:7), a heavenly city that is permanent, and not merely transient. 

In His faithful love, God assures us that He will lead us to this heavenly city where we can settle forevermore (Psalm 107:7), rejoicing in “His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men” (Psalm 107:8) and praising Him who satisfies our hunger and quenches our thirst.

Charles Cameron, better known as Charlie to his friends, lives in Scotland and is a member of the Church of Scotland. He owns several Christian blogs found at the following links:

Old Testament; New Testament

 Image by DEEPAI