Rend Your Hearts: The Journey Continues

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  (Joel 2:12-13 KJV)

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/02/18/09/51/in-640517_960_720.jpg

Today, we continue to consider Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, as we prepare to celebrate Easter—what Jesus did for us in His suffering, death, and resurrection.  Most of what follows is an edited and slightly abridged version of a sermon I developed in 2008.  To read the first post from Wednesday, please click on “Ash Wednesday” in the first line of this paragraph. 

Ash Wednesday is a time to consider our mortality as well as a safe place to commune with God—allowing Him to search our hearts—confessing our sins or hurtful, unjust actions—as He shines the light of His precious Holy Spirit upon us.  God forgives us, when we humbly repent, may we accept His wonderful forgiveness and gift of a “new start”, during this time of preparing for Easter.    

From http://www.blc-denver2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Lent-Cross.png

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  (Joel 2:12-13 KJV, emphasis mine)

The Old Testament prophet, Joel, states in verses 12-13 to return to God with all of your heart and to rend your heart and not your garments.  To me, returning to God with all your heart is to be totally in love—passionately in love with God and having the humility to admit that we are in dire need of forgiveness and that we cannot save ourselves.  We are so in love with God that nothing else matters; our eyes are on Him alone.  Our relationship with Him is our first priority.  Ideally, He should be the first person we think about when we wake-up and the last person we think about when we fall asleep. 

If we return to God with all of our heart, we admit our need for what He has, we also show our humility.  We know from 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) that: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  God is ready and just to forgive us and to heal us.  Yet at the same time, we cannot return to God without rending our hearts.  After all, God is holy and due to His holiness, He cannot be around sin.  Yet, when we are truly humble and confess our sin, seeking forgiveness, He is quick to forgive. 

From  http://livegreaterfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lent.png

Joel’s words should call us to action today, as we journey through Lent.  God wants us to grieve our sins but not so much in an outward way but in an inner way as we truly take stock of our inner life.  By rending our hearts, instead of our garments (in the OT rending garments was a sign of great grief and mourning) we are able to focus on what our hearts are telling us.  It also is done in the sanctity and privacy of an “inner room” or our “prayer closet”.  It is there that we can truly commune with God and receive our reward from Him much like the humble tax collector in contrast to the pious Pharisee (see Matthew 6:1-6). 

Therefore, I encourage you to use some quiet time during this season of Lent to allow God, the Holy Spirit to search you, to know you, and to try you—shining the light of His love and presence in your heart—pointing out to you your sinful, hurtful ways and a time for seeking forgiveness.  This taking stock should be done more than just during Lent; it should be done regularly…rather like cleaning house!

What is your heart telling you?

From http://live-from-the-heart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ashes-heart.jpg

Please join with me in prayer:

Forgiving and Loving God, We admit that we are sinful people in dire need of forgiveness.  We confess that we need Your forgiveness and Your healing touch in our hearts and lives.  During this season of preparation for Easter, guide us to open our hearts to Your spotlight searching out the sin, the yuck in our hearts and lives; allowing you to cleanse our hearts and spirits.  As we become aware of our sin, may we be quick to seek Your forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  Thank You for Your forgiveness that cleanses us and frees us to be Your people in an increasingly dark world.  In our freedom, guide us to speak healing words to those all around us who are in need of freedom found only in You.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim