Rend Your Heart

One of my Favorite Jimmy Needham songs is called “Rend”.  Look it up on YouTube or follow this link after you read the article.  It’s a great song that goes along with this scripture.

Joel 2: Rend Your Heart

 ¹² “Even now,” declares the LORD,
   “return to me with all your heart,
   with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

 ¹³ 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.
¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent
   and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
   for the LORD your God.

Joel was a prophet who heard the word of the Lord and declared to a prideful people that the plague that they were under did not have to last forever.  The Chaldians were facing one on the largest plagues that anyone could imagine.  Locusts swarmed their field and had left their land barren.  Joel came on the scene and let them know that God had not left them, and that they were missing out on the love of God.  It didn’t have to be this way. 

If my life, there have been times where I felt like my life, my pride, my possessions got in the way of the love of God – in the way of what God had for me.  All the things I tried to put in front of God left me feeling empty and alone – like a barren wasteland covered in bugs…. gross.

But here’s the thing, God did not leave me to be eaten away by bugs.  He said come back to me dear one and I have got some great things in store for you. 

The LORD’s Answer

 ¹⁸ Then the LORD was jealous for his land
   and took pity on his people.

 ¹⁹ The LORD replied^[a] to them:
   “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,
   enough to satisfy you fully;
never again will I make you
   an object of scorn to the nations.

If you finish the chapter, there are more promises.  These were the promises for those people at that time, but take time today to search your heart and find out what they mean for you. 

What does it mean when God asks you to rend your heart?  What are you in need of surrendering?

Join us this Sunday.  THE FIRST SUNDAY OF 2012! as we explore more.


 -Sierra