REND YOUR HEART, NOT YOUR GARMENTS

Joel 2 v12-13 ‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart,with fasting and weeping and mourning.’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. The meaning of ‘rend’ is,tears, wrench, split or divide.

I expect you have experienced the ‘rending of your heart’, in heartbreaking times of grief, deep tragedies,or un-explained events in your life causing despair or loss of hope and faith.Isaiah 58 v 9 advises- Then you will call and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and he will say ‘here am I.’ ….then your light will rise in the darkness and your night become will become like the noonday

.The Lord will guide you always:,he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Chapter 59 may sum up your feelings such as,‘we look for light but all is darkness; for brightness but we walk in deep shadows.’It may seem as if justice, truth, honesty and righteousness stand at a distance. Hold this verse from Chapter 60 close to your heart,

‘The Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory; and your days of sorrow will end.Our God has promised us, freedom,restoration, growth and abounding love,so continue to praise him,trust him and believe in his power of love.‘For I,the Lord,love justice.

’Pray the oil of gladness instead of ashes or a spirit of despair. The day will come when you will rejoice again in the Lord’s healing.
Be Blessed

Lorraine