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Joel 2.13 (NIV)
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.
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| The outward expressions of sorrow must spring from within.* |
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Maybe you have experienced such great sorrow for your sins that you have demonstrated
it in dramatic ways. Tearing your clothes, loud weeping, and even
self-mutilation are examples of outward signs of being sorry for your sins. Without
some external sign of repentance, who would know that you have repented? But
acting like you’re sorry can be – well . . . just an act. God knows your
heart and you can’t fool him by putting on a good show.
But did you realize that your repentance can cause God to repent? According to Joel, if
God’s people returned to him, he would relent from his plans for them. This should
cause us to repent, not out of fear of his judgment, but because of God’s
compassion and willingness to relent. And you should do it soon because “slow to
anger” does not equal “never to anger.” There is an expiration date on his patience.
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| Focusing on the wonderful sacrificial death of Christ just naturally causes us to examine our own hearts, our sinfulness, our unworthiness, and our need for deeper commitment to the One who died for us.* |
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