REPENTANT HEART

Joel 2:12-13

"Now, therefore," says the Lord, "turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Joel 2:12-13, NKJV

There are many instances when there is a call for repentance. Here the prophet Joel is not only calling for the nation to turn away from sin but is also reminding them that God is faithful and that is why He is offering His hand of forgiveness toward them.

The reminder here is that despite our sin, God is faithful to forgive when we come to Him. Sin is always going to be something that Christians are going to struggle with. However it is not something that holds us captive anymore because Jesus’s death on the cross covered our sin. Joel here is also reminding us that there is nothing we can offer that can cover our sin.

Jesus is asking for a true repentant heart that is open to His forgiveness and grace. It is a simple yet profound task for us to come to the realization that we are weak and in need of a loving Savior. Trust in His faithful and loving grace to lead and guide us to follow after Him each and every day.

We are no longer slaves to sin. Christ's work on the cross offers us a place in which we are able to come to Him with our sin, lay them before His feet, and accept His forgiveness. The “day of the Lord" was used by many prophets in the days of Israel. It was synonymous with the final judgment; the time when God would return and make all enemies His footstool and restore order in the world. Joel warns of this day soon to come.

Yet Joel also hints at possible grace for those who will turn from their ways and follow the Lord. This grace was demonstrated by God when He became flesh incarnate as Jesus. Rather than wiping out the earth, He gave us the greatest demonstration of love. The dreaded day of the Lord was postponed and replaced with an age of grace.

But do not be fooled into thinking that there will be no day of reckoning. There will be a return, and when that happens, Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats and cast away those who are evil. We will eventually face our Maker, either on the day of His return or when we pass from this life to the next. We must live with the conviction that we will indeed be judged and our behavior matters. The condition of our hearts is important. Do not be caught before the Lord unprepared to account for the life you've lived!!!

Father, thank You for this day and Your amazing mercy and grace to walk in it. Lord, let Your abundant blessings be our family's portion today. Lord, thank You for the book of Joel, which bears witness of Your goodness and grace to all who will trust in Your Word. Lord, we pray that You would help us to make our outward life a demonstration of a changed, inner life Conversations with God that trusts You implicitly, in thought, word, deed, and motive. Lord, grant to us, young and old alike, the wisdom to listen to You and to turn back from going our own way. Lord, use us to be the light of Your love to those whom You send our way.

Father, we love You. Amen.