FOR THE WOMAN WATCHING SOMEBODY APOLOGIZE FOR THE SAME THING AGAIN AND WONDERING WHY NOTHING EVER CHANGES. 

You know who I’m talking about. Maybe it’s someone in your family. Maybe it’s someone you work with, or someone you’ve been praying for so long you’ve lost count. 

Same apology. Same tears, sometimes. And then a few weeks go by and there it is again, and they’re back in the mess wondering why they keep getting nailed. 

Or maybe the person you’re thinking of is you. 

Here’s what I need you to understand, and it’s going to settle something… being sorry and being repentant are two completely different things. Almost nobody has been shown where that line is. 

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Moses Got the Checklist. Joshua Stayed. 

Before we get anywhere near repentance, we’ve got to talk about how you’re showing up in the presence of God. Because if that part is off, none of the rest of this is going to work. 

In Exodus there’s a tent of meeting. Moses goes in, meets with God, and comes out so full of the presence that his face is shining. He’s got what he came for. The word, the instruction, and a whole nation waiting on him. 

But then there’s this one line I can’t get past. Joshua lingered. 

There was no business left to be done in that tent. The leader had gone. The marching orders were already handed down. And Joshua stayed anyway.

Why? Because when it came time for Joshua to lead, he wasn’t going to lead by the law. He was going to be led by the Spirit. And I believe he could do that because he already knew how to stay in the presence when there was nothing left to get out of it.

So let me ask you something, Sister. When you go into your prayer time, are you going in to linger… or are you going in for a report?

Because if you’re walking in to get the answer, take the notes and walk right back out, you might be operating with a Pharisaical spirit. And you want to deal with that, because the law has never produced anything but death.

Here’s the part that should bother you. You’re getting about 80% of what God had in there for you. It was never just the tick list. There’s a potential that falls on you in His presence, and you’re walking out before it ever lands. Can you see it?

The One Word God Uses, and What It Actually Means 

Now to the standard. 

In Leviticus 23, God lays out His appointed feasts, and when He gets to the Day of Atonement He gives one specific instruction.

“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves.” — Leviticus 23:27 

Afflict yourselves. 

And I already know what some of us do with that. Well, I have Jesus, so I don’t have to do anything hard. He suffered so I don’t have to. 

Sis, that’s not the Bible. The Word tells us plainly that we suffer with Him if we want to reign with Him. You’re going to have trial and tribulation in this life, and just like Him, you’re going to overcome. Both of those are true at the same time. 

But look at what the word actually means. Afflict is the Hebrew anaw. To abase yourself. To humble yourself. To submit yourself. To stoop low. This isn’t God telling you to punish yourself. It’s God telling you to get low. And atonement itself is kippur, which means expiation. It comes from kafar, meaning to cover, to cancel, to make reconciliation for, to purge. 

Now watch this connection, because it changes everything. In 1 John, Jesus is called our propitiation, the Greek word hilasmos. It means the one who expiates. The one who does the covering, the canceling, the purging. 

Jesus is the atonement. You are not the expiator. He is. Your only job is to get low and let Him do the thing that only He can do. 

Sorry Is About the Consequence. Repentance Is About God. 

Here’s the cleanest test I can give you. 

Repentance isn’t something you do because somebody’s about to put you out of the house. It isn’t what you do because you’re about to lose the deal, or because they’re finally leaving, or because you got caught. 

Repentance is what you do because you realize you damaged the connection between you and God. You grieved His heart. And you want that connection restored more than you want the consequence to go away.

Sorry negotiates. Repentance surrenders. And if you want to see what it looks like when it’s real, we’ve got a king to look at.

“Against You and You Alone” 

Nathan the prophet comes to David after Bathsheba, after Uriah, and tells him exactly what this is going to cost. The child is going to die. 

Here’s what gets me every time. David knew the outcome wasn’t changing. He knew. And he went low anyway. He fasted. He tore his clothes. He got on the ground before God. 

This wasn’t a negotiation and it wasn’t a tick list. Before he was that child’s father, before he was king of Israel, David knew who he was. A son of God. And a son of God knows how to walk rightly even when the answer is already no. Psalm 51 is the expanded version of what he prayed. 

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.” — Psalm 51:1

Notice what he doesn’t say. He doesn’t say forgive me because I apologized enough times. He doesn’t say look at all the other good I’ve done, so we’re square. He appeals to the mercy of God and nothing else. 

Then he says something that should stop you cold. “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.” — Psalm 51:4 

Excuse me? A man is dead. A household is destroyed. Bathsheba is still alive, living inside what he did. And yet David is right. Because when we sin against God, that’s when we hurt people. Your responsibility to love your neighbor was never a responsibility to your neighbor. It’s a responsibility to God. Which means the offense is always, first and finally, against Him.

Sit with that one for a sec. Like, Selah. 

You Can’t Fix It. Stop Trying. 

Do you know how much of your life you’ve spent trying to get it right? The lost sleep. The hours running the scenario. The conversations you rehearsed in the shower. All because I broke it, so I have to fix it. 

That’s a scheme, and it will wear you out. It’s Whac-A-Mole. You handle the consequence over here and it pops right back up over there, and you keep swinging until you’ve got nothing left. You were never going to win that game, because the thing that actually needs dealing with isn’t the consequence. It’s the break between you and God. 

Here’s what He’s asking for instead. “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” — Psalm 51:17 

Years ago Doug went to a men’s conference out on a ranch, and one of the things they did there was break a horse. I asked the Lord what the point of that even was, and He told me something I’ve never forgotten. You’d think that horse would stay angry at the one who broke it. But that’s actually the first step of trust between the horse and the master, because the master was shown to be consistent. The master was shown to be true. 

You’re not going to be broken beyond use, Sister. You’re going to be restored. But He requires a broken spirit, because a broken spirit can be filled and realigned. A hard one can’t.

Rebuild the Walls 

David ends the psalm somewhere you might not expect. “Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.” — Psalm 51:18 

And here’s something fascinating. His son Solomon would write years later that a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. David is living that proverb before it was ever written down. His own lack of self-control knocked his walls flat, and he knows exactly who did it.

So he prays the only prayer there is left to pray. God, look at the damage. To my family. To my house. To myself. In your mercy, come and rebuild the walls.

That’s your prayer too, if you need it. Stop swinging at the moles. Get low. Linger in His presence instead of running in for an answer and running back out. Let Jesus be the expiator, because He already is. And then watch Him rebuild what you were never able to fix. Amen. 

🎯 Your Next Steps + Resources For You:

📖 Come Study the Book of Nehemiah with Me: Monday nights at 7:00pm ET on Zoom. A full leadership study on rebuilding what’s been broken down and building healthy spiritual habits, co-ed, taught alongside my husband. It’s not too late to jump in.

Get signed up and let’s dig in! 👉🏽 revivetampa.org/biblestudy 

☀️ Join me for Get Ready with God: Come start your day with me, Sis! Every weekday at 7:30am ET. 30 minutes of inspo, prayer and the word before the loudness of the day can even try to grab the wheel. Let’s get ready with God! 💃🏻 
👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericapyle
👉 Facebook: https://www.ericapyle.com/BizFB 

⛪️ Come worship with us at REVIVE Church of Tampa: 
🙌 Sunday worship at 11am, in person and online.
📍 1803 N. Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33607. 
👉 https://www.facebook.com/revivechurchtampa 

🎧 Subscribe to Positioned to Prosper Podcast: This is where breakthrough gets built, the kind that changes the pattern for you, your family, and the generations coming behind you. Subscribe so you do not miss the next one.  
👉🏽 Apple Podcasts: ericapyle.com/apple
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📖 Scriptures Referenced in This Episode: Leviticus 23:26-32 | 1 John 2:2 | Psalm 51 | 2 Samuel 12 | Proverbs 25:28 | Hebrews 4 | Jeremiah 33:3 | 1 John 4:18 

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Erica co-leads a local church alongside her husband, Doug, in Tampa, Florida called REVIVE Church of Tampa. You can visit the church’s website for more information about who we are, what we believe and how we show up as the Church in the heart of West Tampa and beyond.

REVIVE Church of Tampa

REVIVE Church of Tampa streams service live on Sunday mornings at 11am ET. You can find that livestream on our church Facebook page:

Live Service – Sundays at 11am ET

If you’re interested in joining the online campus of REVIVE Church of Tampa, you are welcome to join our community group on Facebook where we offer weekly discussion around the Friday and Sunday messages as well as discipleship Zoom groups and the opportunity to host others in your home as you stream services. You can find us here:

The ROCC: REVIVE Online Campus Community

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About this podcast:

Welcome to the Positioned to Prosper Podcast with Erica Pyle, where we dive deep into Biblical mindsets, strategies, and inspiration to help you thrive in every area of your life. Whether it’s faith, health, relationships, finances, business, or ministry, Erica’s here to equip you with the tools you need to get unstuck, overcome overwhelm, and avoid burnout as you pursue your purpose with intention.

Join Erica, co-lead pastor of REVIVE Church of Tampa, and founder/lead mentor of The Jesus Girl Gang, an online, group coaching mentorship for Christian women with a pioneering spirit, as she shares powerful teachings, practical advice, and pivotal strategies for breakthrough living without compromising on the things that matter most to you. With over 13 years of experience in pastoral ministry alongside her husband Doug, Erica brings a wealth of knowledge and a passionate heart for helping you live out God’s best for your life.

Each week, tune in for transformative insights that will empower you to build a Kingdom business or ministry, nurture your personal well-being, and create balanced, prosperous relationships. If you’re a faith-driven woman seeking to align your life with God’s purpose, you’re in the right place.

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