What is true repentance? Some make the mistake of confusing confession and repentance. It is important that you understand the difference. Confession is admitting to the truth of your actions. When you sin and confess to the Lord you are admitting that what you did was wrong. Repentance on the other hand is admitting that what you did was wrong and turning away from doing it again. It is turning away from sin toward God.

In the book of Joel the prophet was warning of the Day of the Lord and the destruction that it would bring and telling Judah to repent. In chapter 1 and and the first half of chapter 2 Joel gives a description of the Day of the Lord and warns them to repent. Then sometime in between 2:17 and 2:18 it seems as though the people had repented and now Joel outlines their material(2:21-27), spiritual(2:28-32), and national(3:1-21) restoration.

This theme of repentance is one that is carried throughout the entire Bible. It was the main message of Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul, and many of the prophets and Apostles.  So based on just the amount of time spent on the topic of repentance by the key characters of the Bible, we see the importance of it in our lives. Have you repented of your sin? Have you turned from it and turn to God? What is holding you back?

The last half of Joel 2 and all of chapter 3 outline the restoration as a result of their repentance. Maybe you need some restoration in your life right now. You might be facing some consequences for sin that you did not plan on facing. Life is rough right now and you feel like there is nothing you can do. That is place the people of Judah found themselves in. They needed to repent so that restoration could happen. Now it is up to you. Are you ready to repent? Let God start a restoration in your life today!