DEVOTION – DAY 163

Joel 2:13 “Genuine Repentance”

Joel 2:13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.

The prophet Joel called God’s people to repent from their wicked ways and turn back to the Lord. In vs.13, Joel emphasized that God was interested in genuine repentance that involves a real change in the people’s hearts. That was what he meant by the words “rend your hearts.” God was not fooled when the people make a show of repenting but when they think God was not looking, the people went back to their wicked ways behind God’s back. This was what Joel meant by the people “rending their garments” – they were just tearing at their clothes as a show of being grieved by the error of their sins. But they did nothing about changing their lifestyles or their sins. So, Joel called the people to change their ways and return to the Lord. He reminded them that God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He will withhold His judgement if His people return back to Him.

A man developed a habit of lying. It started innocently when he began to exaggerate things to impress his friends about what he did. Since his friends believed him, he began to lie more often. Soon, it became a habit. There came a time when his lies were exposed. He admitted his lies and sought forgiveness. But he went right back to lying whenever he thought he could get away with it. A woman we knew also had a habit of lying. She was quite convincing and for a time, many believed her lies. God is slow to anger and abounding in love where this man and woman were concerned. They had many chances to repent and return back to God. When given a chance to repent, both this man and this woman would ask for forgiveness but each time, it was a case of rending their garments, and not their hearts. God is not fooled, and sooner or later, the lies of this man and this woman will catch up with them.

These two people are not alone. There are men who abuse their wives either physically or verbally. There are people who are addicted to alcohol, or cigarettes, or Internet gambling. They know these are wicked ways that displeases God and they promise to change, but they fall right back into sinning before long. May they all heed the warning in Joel 2:13 before God judges them. We can thank God that He is merciful and gracious.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we praise you for being gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. We thank you for the gracious warning in your Word that tells us to repent in our hearts and to return to you. May we always do that quickly whenever we fall. In the great name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Questions

1. What are some examples of people saying they would stop doing something only to go back to their old sinful habits and ways? What are some things that you find yourself repeating in doing when you know it displeases God?
2. What does this verse teach you about these areas that God wants you to repent of?
3. How can you help yourself and others who struggle with deep rooted sinful habits? Discuss.