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.
All the Father wants for you is the very best. The blessing of His best comes when you turn to Him with our whole heart.
That’s not head knowledge, that’s not a once-a-week, and it’s not a prayer when you feel your lowest.
“All your heart” means God becomes the Lord of all you are and everything you do.
This allows you to ask God’s blessing in every aspect of your life.
I’ve talked about this before but fasting to me is self-denial of something essential and important to you. Food does meet that requirement. And while you can call a fast and abstain from watching TV, TV is not essential to stay alive while food is. Then again, just make sure it’s something important. Don’t fast from TV if you don’t ever watch it.
When you begin to weep over your own sin then repentance is true. That does not mean you must cry but it is a sure sign of true sorrow over your transgressions.
In the old days, people would rend their clothing as a sign of distress over sin. God would rather you rend your heart, that is, tear it away from those sinful things your heart is fond of.
God just wants the best for you.
Well Pastor, you’ve done it again.
Why, you’ll be stirring up that old serpent with this one.
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