Acts 3:19-21 - 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
This past weekend the weather was beautiful! The sun was shining, it was warm, and you could go outside without spending 10 minutes preparing. Definitely not what you’d expect for this area in mid-January, and just as quickly as it arrived, we have returned to the cold gray bleakness of winter. It’s the time of year when you just want to hide away: sitting in a cozy pile of blankets, sipping your favorite warm beverage, and eating carbs.
Unfortunately, the demands of life require that we soldier on no matter the weather. This is just a picture of life as we know it, good days come and good days go, and throughout it all we go through the motions of living. But there is something special about a spring day popping up out of nowhere in the middle of winter that makes us all appreciate it a little bit more.
If it’s been sunny and 70 for the last six months, then you don’t notice another day that’s sunny and 70. However, when you feel the warmth on your skin for the first time after only feeling a chill you experience a brief rush of invigoration. Today is going to be different! And it is this feeling Peter is speaking about in Acts 3.
When we get bogged down by sin it can feel a lot like a bad winter. The days feel short and it seems like there is a lot less light than we would prefer. As we face times like these it can seem like the sun is never going to come out again. When the truth is that the sun has never left us and we need only repent, which literally means to turn around, and face a new direction and see the warmth of forgiveness that is available.
We have a God that loves us deeply and wants us to feel the refreshing joy of restoration. It’s not easy and we all need reminders sometime. So, if you need it today, turn around the sun is still out there. And if you’re doing great look for someone around you that you can encourage.