February 4 : Exo 10 | Psa 64-65 | Rom 15-16

Reading 1 - Exo 10:16

"Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you' " (Exo 10:16).

There is a radical distinction between natural regret and God-given repentance. The flesh can feel remorse, acknowledge its evil deeds, and be ashamed of itself. However, this sort of disgust with past actions can be quickly shrugged off, and the individual can soon go back to his old wicked ways. None of the marks of true repentance described in 2Co 7:11 are found in his behavior:

"See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter."

Repentance of the "mouth", without repentance of the heart, and the life, and the actions, is meaningless. Don't just be sorry. What are you going to DO about it?

Out of a list of 11 men in the Bible who said, "I have sinned," possibly only five actually and truly repented.

• David (2Sa 12:13; 24:10; 1Ch 21:8; Psa 41:4),

• Nehemiah (Neh 1:6),