Return

“Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” (Joel 2:13)

                                                             

In walking with the Lord from week to week, I am reminded just how gracious and compassionate He is! How wonderful for me that He is filled with unfailing love!  His love is abundant, extravagant, and steadfast. How glad I am to read of His patience and slowness with me, because I am slow with Him.  I’m slow in turning from my selfishness and often slow in crying out. I’m slow to change my clothes and even more slow to change my life.

God desires more from me than just external, momentary change. He wants more from His people and calls them to wake up! In Scripture and in modern life, He is willing to go to great lengths to get people’s attention. If He has to, He will send calamity and catastrophe; He will allow for punishment and plague even though that is not His first choice or primary modus operandi.

He wants to relent from His purpose of punishment and have pity on those He loves. He does not want for His people to be an object of scorn among the nations of the earth. He yearns for a true returning to Him which encompasses more than just outward shows of action...

In Jesus, God made that which was an object of punishment an article of grace. Jesus gave up His life for me and now He calls me daily, truly, sincerely, and completely to live and give up my life for Him. Repentance is something more than just mourning clothes and temporary tears; it’s a vital part of a verifiable, on-going, lasting transformation made possible by a love which is merciful and suffers long.

Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!