Repentance - the Way to Happiness

God lives and works today. This joyful reality need not only be experienced by those who are successful in life, whose good character traits seem to open every door. No, God wants to demonstrate His power in the lives of the weak, the helpless, and the sinners, and He will do so if we only turn back to Him.

Listen to today's meditation by Basilia Schlink called, Repentance, the way to happiness. Kingdom of heaven is truly at hand, Where sinners for their sins to repent, Jesus, O joy eternal. Heaven may be entered, thou here on earth, Penitent sinners given to birth, Jesus, O joy eternal.

Repentance and contrition are what makes a person truly happy. That is what the prodigal son experienced as Jesus tells us in Luke chapter 15. When the prodigal son turned home to his father, full of repentance, the father welcomed him with hugs and kisses and put a gold ring on his finger.

He was given a beautiful wedding garment, as it was the custom in those days for all important celebrations. You will be treated the same way if you run ever anew to the arms of the heavenly Father with repentance over your sins. When I was very young in the Lord, I didn't know so much about the joy of repentance.

One day, however, a saying of the famous Swiss evangelist Hauser, who lived around 1900, made a deep impression on me. In one of his books, he wrote, Every sin and every failure drives us into the arms of Jesus. I didn't have to be told twice, but thought immediately, Wonderful, that means I don't have to remain in sadness and despair over my sins and guilt.

Rather, I can run immediately with all of my guilt to the arms of Jesus. When we are enfolded by Jesus' arms, we are truly flooded with His grace. And then the sins which we are sorry about will be forgiven and transformed.

Through Jesus' grace, we will be recreated and made beautiful. Repent daily, and you will daily taste the kingdom of heaven. The arms of Jesus are open to embrace the repentant sinner.

Repent abundantly, and you will have abundant access to the kingdom of heaven. Repentance is the entrance, or God's mercy brings them in. To us, O poor God's slave, she belongs a heavenly land.

For God Himself so rich will give His blessings in our hand. You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.

If you do not have access to the web, please write to God Lives and Works Today, 9849 North 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85028-4099 God bless you.