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
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, rend means 1. To remove from place by violence: wrest, 2. To split or tear apart in pieces by violence, 3. To tear as a sign of anger, grief, or despair.
As I think about the context that Joel was writing these words I relate the lack of holiness and sinful state in which Israel had been found to where our current society, even the church itself can be found.
Joel was calling Israel to repent from the idol worship and the outright sinful state they had turned into. Israel had completely rebelled and turned away from God. God was so displeased, he allowed the natural consequences to transpire, sent other nations against Israel hoping they would realize that they were not doing the right things. He hoped that Israel would turn from the wickedness. He sent prophets to warn them and call them back to Him. Israel ignored the prophets. Israel suffered great consequences before they finally turned their hearts back to the God Almighty that had waited and loved them deeply. It was the hearts that were not committed, not in a position to love God. They loved themselves, the pleasures of the world and the easy things. There had a hardening of their hearts to the things of God. They were allowing sin to reign and had accepted this as a lifestyle. Does this sound familiar?
Today, we are seeing consequences of a people wno have turned from God. We have a sinful, violent society with no one willing to take the blame. We see violence and lifestyles all around us and even in churches that reflect a love of self and pleasures rather than a love for God and His righteousness. Many make excuses and set aside righteousness. We set aside the things of God and we do not take it serious as we begin to hear a call to turn back to Him.
Thankfully, God is slow to anger, full of grace and mercy. He is kind. But he is calling His people to awaken. The church needs to rend it's heart. The people of God need to rend their hearts; break their hearts for the sinful state we find around us. We cannot stand idly by and make excuses for what is happening around us. We need to turn our hearts to God, seek Him and let our hearts be broken for what is breaking the heart of God. It is not His will for the suffering brought about by sin. It is not His will to see violence overtake us. It is His will to save souls and change lives for the better. He wants to use His people, but we must be willing to be used. He needs His people to follow after His heart. Our hearts need to be in tune with His heart. We are mistaken to think God does not see our sin. We are mistaken to think God does not want to help the lost and suffering. We are mistaken to think God does not love the hurting and even those that do the hurt. We, as the church, need to rend or tear our hearts apart to get to a place that we can feel compassion and be moved by those around us. Are we concerned for the souls around us? Do we notice the world suffering around us enough to pray, to seek God on behalf of those that don't know God? Do we reach for the lost and dying? Do we fast and pray with fervancy because we truly believe that God is the answer for the pain around us? Have we allowed our hearts to be moved by the things that move God? Have we become numb and unwilling to move with the heart of God because we are too worried about our pleasure and status? Has the church become too bogged down in distraction to actually be the hands and feet of God?
May we arise from the slumber and the slow lull of sin that has blinded us, hardened our hearts and distracted us from the true purpose of the body of Christ. I pray that my heart be broken. I pray that I turn my heart, all my heart, to the work and service to which God is calling me. Are we willing to fully commit ourselves to Him and His purpose to see a change in our world?
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 KJV
This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
Psalms 24:6 KJV
As Joel wrote, let us seek the heart of God with prayer and fasting. Let us mourn for the things that go against God. Let us seek to please the Lord and in doing so, bring about a spiritual change in our lives and in our communities. Rend our hearts, Lord. I rend my heart for you.
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