LEARNING DAILY

 

Joel 2:12-13, That is why the Lord says, “Turn to Me now, while there is time! Give Me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief; instead tear your hearts.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you. (The New Living Translation)

 

In the last two pages of the blog, I have tried to show what we are witnessing around us today is contrary to the heart of God. Protests against the ending of Roe v Wade are against His heart as I read and understand His Word. The moral decline and the deception prevalent regarding lifestyles do not line up with God’s heart. The racial division in this country does not line up with God’s heart. The beliefs of the political left in this country do not line up with the heart of God. All of us are wondering what is happening with our economy, gas prices, job opportunities, inflation, food shortages and everything else. What is happening in this country and in the world?

 

I believe our Father in heaven is more concerned with His people’s spiritual growth than He is with our physical and economic comfort. In biblical times God would use plagues of locusts, famines, droughts and other conditions to cause people to suffer as consequences of their rebellion. Today, we might not be seeing problems with locusts (at least not yet) but we are experiencing various troubles that are causing people physical and economic hardships. These hardships are seemingly getting worse.

 

Take time to read the prophet Joel’s writing. It is a warning, especially for the church, to wake up. His message is relevant to us today; we must know God’s Word, know His heart, and return to Him. The church has intertwined with the world for too long; it has thought it needed to look like the world in order to get people to come through its doors. In the process, the church has compromised the message of the gospel by watering it down, changed the worship to entertain rather than bring people into the presence of God.

 

The prophet tells us to turn to the Lord with a broken and contrite heart (read Psalm 51:17) and if we do, He will have mercy and compassion. Notice that we are to come in sincere repentance; it comes from our heart meaning an inward desire to walk with God on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. When the prophet says the Lord does not want a tearing of the clothes, he means the Lord does not want an outward appearance of repentance, it is to be an inward repentance – of the heart. That is real change from our sinfulness! God does not want to punish us, He wants to be gracious and merciful to us but that comes when our hearts are truly united with His! His promise to us comes from 2 Chronicle 7:14, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This promise is to both individuals and to nations. It has to begin with you, me and God’s people. As we humble ourselves and draw near to God, He gives us His grace to live our lives on the narrow way. In other words, God answers the humble prayers of His people that come with a repentant heart.

You and I need to be in constant prayer to live our lives as the Father desires. We must be humble and walk in faith, faithful to Him who saved us. We must be alert to the dangers of the world around us, speak truth in love, and not become arrogant as we walk the narrow way. Our nation is in need of repentance! But repentance must begin with you and me!