The Relationship Between Repentance and Peace

"I like your web-site but you have to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues." This was one of the comments I found on my Blog. I am often concerned not only that I might spell something wrong but also that I might have run on sentences, comma slices, and even sentence fragments. I do proof read what I write but still I often find it difficult to see my own mistakes. This would be the benefit of having someone else to edit my work.

This is not just a problem with my writing this is a problem I have in general. I have a very difficult time seeing where I am wrong. The other night I got into a fight with my husband. It began when I did something that hurt his feelings. My response was to justify myself and point out his faults. His faults were obvious to me but I was blind to my own.

As I was going to sleep I prayed a prayer I often pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." (Psalm 139:23) God answered that prayer and I was finally able to see where I had offended my husband. The light penetrated my darkness and only then could I see where I had been self centered.

This incident made me think about the relationship between repentance and peace. Until I was able to see that I had wronged my husband and that I needed to repent we didn't have peace between us. Not only that but I didn't have within myself either. When God sent John to prepare the way for the Savior his message was one of repentance. In order to receive the Peace from Heaven there had first be the acknowledgement and repentance of sin.

Zechariah said, "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."(Luke 1:75-79)