What have I done?

 "I listened and heard, but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' (Jeremiah 8:6).

Here is the Lord's great mercy: He listens and longs to hear words of repentance from His people, whom He is ready to forgive, have mercy on, and restore. But they don't speak aright; they don't say the right words. They don't say it like the tax collector of Jesus' parable: 'O God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' They don't say it like David: 'Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.' They do not say it out of hatred for sin: 'What have I done?' The Lord said to Eve, 'What is this you have done?' There is an accusation in that question, which should put repentance in the heart of the accused. In Jeremiah 8:6, the accuser and the accused must be the same person. A person should make this accusation to himself: 'What have I done?'

What have I done? I have done that which grieves my Lord, is hateful in His sight, and separates me from Him. I have done that which pleases my enemy.

The Lord wants to hear this question from the repentant sinner, and to the one who says, 'What have I done?' He wants to say, 'Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.'"

From my diary,

September  30,  2023