The nature of true repentance (1 Samuel 7-9)

I think it is tempting sometimes to believe that repentance is an act of simply asking for forgiveness.  The reality, though, is that repentance means turning from one thing to another: essentially it is making a "one-eighty" with your life.  Samuel challenges Israel with that thought in chapter 7.  The people of Israel wanted to turn to God, but they also wanted to cling to their others gods.  Samuel's words are so incredibly clear: "if you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods…"  It's not possible to worship God along with other things.  We have to worship God alone.  It we want to return to God, then we need to give up those things that draw us away from him.