Joel 2:12-13

Hey Everyone,
Another hot day. Summer is going out with a bang. I put out fall decor yesterday. I was ready for a change. I guess even after all these years of living 'south' my brain tells me it's fall even though summer is still going strong.
I did a study on Joel today and these verses impacted me, so I thought I'd share them. Because we're going to be having revival meetings in October at church, I thought these verses applied. Actually, chapters 1 and 2 are about repentance and revival.
I realize that this was written to the Jews, but I think it applies to us also. Joel 2:12-13 "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." 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. As Pastor would say: WOW!
Verse 12 impacted me the most. This is the repentance part. So do you fast, weep and mourn? I can't fast from food because of my health, but I choose other ways to fast. The Lord honors that because He knows the situation. When you fast, do you announce it to the world? Do you fast in sincerity of seeking God for answers, or in order to please Him?
Do you weep out of sorrow of your sinfulness? Do you weep because you have not served Him as you should, or as He has wanted you to?
When you mourn, is it because of your sin and disobedience, or because He's had to discipline you and you didn't like it?
In verse 13 rend means: to split or tear violently. That's an earth shaker. 'Rend your heart, not your garments.' When people of old mourned, they would tear their clothes and pour ashes on their heads to show the world that they were grieving. Here, God says to rend our heart.
I think this means to show God that we're serious about repentance. Remember, God looks at the heart, not the outward. He wants full repentance from our sinning. He wants revival!
Are you ready for repentance and revival in your heart? Go before the Lord and seek Him for anything that is blocking your fellowship that you need to repent of. Ask God to revive your heart!

Send Revival Lord,
Sandy