Ready to Rend

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 1:13

"Rend" is not a word we use often, but it simply means "to rip or tear violently". In the Bible, we read oftentimes about people who tore their clothes when they were in mourning or despair. But, Joel says that we must tear our hearts instead. When you tear something, it is a permanent change of state. A syntactic test that proves it is that you can't un-tear something. It is torn. (Similar to the way you can't un-cook or un-break something... although my wish for an "undo" button would change this!) So, when you tear your heart, that's a real change. That's what God wants. Instead of just saying I'm sorry with your voice, he wants you to say it with your heart- with your life... in a change that is real. Change your heart, and return to the Lord...reassured by his unfailing love, and his promise... that everyone who calls upon His name will be saved.

Thank You, Father, for Your promises and Your blessings. Teach me to rend my heart and return to You.

And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls. Joel 1:32