May 25

He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments. — 2 Chr 14:4 BSB

Repentance isn’t complete unless we return to God and renew our commitment to Him.

One of Jesus’ parables speaks of an evil spirit cast out of a person, leaving the heart empty. After wandering, the demon returns and finds the heart still empty, though swept and tidy. It then gathers more demons and returns to the same place. This is always what happens when evil is driven out, but the life isn’t filled with God.

In one of his letters, Paul urges Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God. God wants our whole selves so He can purify us and return us, cleansed and holy.

God doesn’t want our consecration just for what we can give Him in return. He desires us so that He can take all our sinfulness and transform us into something beautiful, like Christ.