This post is part of the weekly series, “His Encouragement: Thursday Thoughts to Strengthen Your Soul.”
Image: A woman holds a cup of tea and reads her Bible. Black text on a green background reads, “Weekly Devotion: His Encouragement- Words from Scripture to Strengthen Your Soul.”
Bible Verse:
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.
-Joel 2:32, NIV
My Cat Is Never Sorry
My cat name is Zeus because he thinks he is king. Even though he is almost twenty years old, he seems ageless. He is a large and noble beast with striking green eyes. He came into my life when he was only six-weeks old, and we have been together ever since.
My husband, Jeff, is not a fan of cats. His family always had dogs, and he is particularly fond of collies. When we first started dating, he was a bit distressed to learn that I had fifteen-pound feline living with me. At the time, he assumed that such an ancient cat couldn’t possibly live much longer. I’m pleased to say that this was just one of many times my husband was wrong.
Recently, we took Zeus to the vet for his annual checkup. The doctor told us that Zeus was the healthiest twenty-year old cat she had ever seen. “He could live for another twenty years,” said the vet.
“Great.” Said Jeff. His voice was less than enthusiastic.
I was tired when we returned home. After feeding the cat and the dog, I sat down on the couch an nodded off to sleep while reading.
I slept peacefully for a while, but then I began to dream that I was drowning. It felt as if an elephant was sitting on my chest! I awoke with a start. I tried to call for help, but I was unable to catch my breath. Was I having a heart attack?
Suddenly, two large green eyes locked their gaze with mine. In a flash, I realized that my enormous cat was sitting on my chest! Frantically, I pushed him off of me. He landed agilely on his feet and sat looking up at me.
“Help!” I cried. “I thought I was dying!”
Jeff came running into the room. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I think my cat just tried to kill me!” I said with dismay.
“Don’t you think you’re over reacting just a little bit?” asked Jeff.
“Maybe. But he really scared me. That’s a frightening way to wake up.”
We both looked at the cat. His only response was to go into the kitchen and start howling to be fed.
“He’s not even sorry,” I said in disbelief.
“No cat anywhere ever felt sorry for anything,” said Jeff. “Cats don’t repent. It’s not in their nature.”
Cat’s don’t need to repent– but we do!
In the New Testament, the Greek word for repentance is metanoia. The Greek term not only implies feeling sorry or penitent for having done something wrong, but also the action of turning away from sin. When we truly repent, we literally turn away from the darkness and turn toward the light of God.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Joel warned the people of Judah that they needed to repent and turn to God. Joel warned the people that although the Day of the LORD was coming, but he also assured them that “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
If we repent, we will be saved. During Lent, we make time for repentance and lament. We remember that we will all die someday and face God. When we face our own personal day of reckoning, we want to face God with clean hearts. We must be sure to repent for the sins we have committed against God and one another (Joel 2:32). Cats don’t need to repent, but humans do.
Somehow, cats and Lent just seem to fit really well together in my mind. CLICK HERE to read last week’s post about The Cat’s Lament!
This post is part of the series, “His Encouragement: Thursday Thoughts to Strengthen Your Soul.”
Now, it’s your turn! What Scripture verse is inspiring you this week? Let me know in the comments below!
Thursdays are always a really long day of the week for me. As a pastor, Sunday feels like the natural beginning of my week. By the time I get to Thursday, I am tired and drained. That’s why I’m excited to join with a group of blogging friends in order to offer you a weekly devotional which will be posted every Thursday.
Please be sure to check out the other great bloggers involved in the His Encouragement weekly series!
Leslie @ Words of Hope
Cat
Rev. Rebecca Writes 
Your cat is so cute.
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