A Repentant Heart 悔改的心
Dexu Xia
“If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord.Jeremiah 4:1
A friend had violated the vows of his marriage. It was painful to watch him destroy his family. As he sought reconciliation with his wife, he asked my counsel. I told him he needed to offer more than words; he needed to be proactive in loving his wife and removing any patterns of sin.
The prophet Jeremiah offered similar advice to those who’d broken their covenant with God and followed other gods. It wasn’t enough to return to Him (Jeremiah 4:1), though that was the right start. They also needed to align their actions with what they were saying. That meant getting rid of their “detestable idols” (v. 1). Jeremiah said that if they made commitments “in a truthful, just and righteous way,” then God would bless the nations (v. 2). The problem was the people were making empty promises. Their heart wasn’t in it.
God doesn’t want mere words; He wants our hearts. As Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). That’s why Jeremiah goes on to encourage those who would listen to break up the unplowed ground of their heart and not sow among the thorns (Jeremiah 4:3).
Sadly, like so many people, my friend didn’t heed sound biblical counsel and consequently lost his marriage. When we sin, we must confess and turn from it. God doesn’t want empty promises; He desires a life that’s truly aligned with Him.
By: Matt Lucas
In what areas of your life do your words not match your actions? What patterns do you need to change?
Father, please forgive me when my actions fail to match what I profess to believe.
耶和华说：“以色列啊，你若回转，回转归向我。”—耶利米书4章1节，和合本修订版
我有一位朋友违背了结婚的誓约，看着他毁掉自己的家庭，真令人感到痛心。当他寻求与妻子复合时，他询问了我的意见。我告诉他，他需要做的不仅是口头承诺，还要以行动积极地爱他的妻子，并除去任何形式的罪恶。
当以色列民违背与上帝所立的约且随从别神时，先知耶利米提出同样的忠告。虽然归向上帝是正确的开始，但并不足够，他们必须言行一致，那就是除掉“可憎的偶像”（耶利米书4章1节）。耶利米说，如果他们“凭诚实、公平、公义”作出承诺，那么上帝就会祝福列国（2节）。但问题是人们经常只作空口承诺，有口无心。
上帝要的不仅仅是我们的口头承诺，祂更看重的是你我的内心。正如耶稣说：“心里所充满的，口里就说出来”（马太福音12章34节）。因此，耶利米不断地鼓励那些愿意听从上帝教导的人，要开垦他们干硬的心田，不要将种子撒在荆棘丛里（耶利米书4章3节）。
令人惋惜的是，我的朋友就像很多人一样，没有听从圣经明智的忠告，结果失去了婚姻。当我们犯罪时，必须认罪且要悔改。上帝不要我们给祂空口承诺，而是要我们行事为人能真正符合祂的心意。作者： 陆明德
在你的生活中，有哪些方面是言行不一致的？
你需要改变哪些恶习？
天父，当我的行为与我宣称的信仰不一致时，
求祢使我痛悔罪行，并加给我力量治死罪性