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Rend Your Heart

             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. (Joel 2:13)

 

            This passage brings to mind the whole of the Law, which was given to the people of Israel. It said, “If you obey, this is what will happen. If you disobey, that is what will happen.”  The Israelites told Moses that they were afraid to hear from God anymore and that he should speak with God and then tell them. And God gave them their request. Those two facts may not seem to go together, but both may be seen as God giving the Israelites control of their relationship with Him. Obedience brought blessing. Disobedience brought curses. Simple.

            But God didn’t generally bring the curse immediately. And often, He seemed to go through the parent’s routine of “I’m going to count to three, and then you’re going to get a spanking! One…Two…I’m warning you…Three. Three-and-a-half… (pulls the child close)…Last chance…” When the child agrees to do as told, the parent either doesn’t spank the child or spanks the child with less force than originally intended.

          The problem is that too often when we (as children) agree to do what we’re told, it’s not because we love our Father or regret what we are doing. It’s because it will get us what we want. We play the part of being contrite, effectively tearing our clothing in our grief, but our hearts don’t change. We may even intend our hearts to change, but the process is too long and hard. We end up back as we were – because our hearts haven’t changed.

          Some see judgment coming. Now is the time for each of us to prayerfully examine our hearts and begin the process of rending them.

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