Friday | Joel 2:12-13

Joel 2:12-13

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

This week, we have placed a great emphasis on repentance. Repentance isn’t meant to make us feel deep shame about our sins, but to turn a new direction and have a change of mind in light of the work Jesus has done for us; that is, atoning for our sins on the cross. 

Repentance is a strong word and often used by God and the people of God in various ways. One of the ways in which it is used is by pleading. While God has made us for himself, you and I are prone to wander and repentance is an invitation to come home and return to God; finding rest in Him alone. 

In repentance, we experience grief. Grief is when we understand that our sin, before effecting anyone--which it inevitably does--is against God and him alone (Psalm 51:3-4) and it demonstrates that our hearts have, in fact, wandered! However, genuine repentance, one that grieves sin, always sends us back to Jesus (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). 

Repentance is our response to the gospel. It is our response to Jesus entering into human history, living a life in our stead, and dying on a cross in our place for our penalty and inviting us to turn to Him in repentance and belief. 

There is no condemnation for the Christian (Romans 8:1). What has gone unconfessed this week? Today? Bring it into the light and fix your eyes on Jesus today.