Repentance
“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, you God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” (Joel 2:12-13)
“Yet even now…” Maybe these three words can be contemplated during our Lenten journey? Lent is meant to be a time of repentance – recognition and acknowledgment of sin that separates us from God.
Repentance in the Old Testament was expressed by rending or tearing apart one’s clothing as acknowledgement or confession of committed sins. By doing so, the sinner intended to show God how sorry they were for failing Him. But this ritual became an outward practice with no true penitence of the heart, or repentance. Repentance is one of the key ingredients to our Christian lives making it possible for us to grow and develop spiritually - trusting in the good news of the gospel that Jesus saves lives, changes hearts and this can be outwardly expressed in our actions.
True repentance is rewarded with promises from a faithful God bringing a message of hope for the repentant believer as expressed in Joel’s message:
His grace. Grace undeserved but granted nonetheless through Christ.
He is mercy. He withholds from us what we rightfully deserve and instead gives us what we do not deserve. In Romans, Paul teaches that we are all sinners, falling short of God’s glory. But through His mercy, God withholds the death we deserve and places it on His Son – through whom we have eternal life.
He is slow to anger. He waits patiently and extends His grace to everyone. God doesn’t want anyone to perish to sin and its judgement.
God is abounding in steadfast love. Abounding: exceedingly, beyond measure, more than we ever would have the capacity to anticipate or understand. Steadfast: immovable, not subject to change, unwavering devotion. It is this love for us that took Jesus to the Cross.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is such an active participant in the lives of His children? Gracious, merciful, patient, and forgiving – abounding in steadfast love.
As we go through this period of Lent, may our prayers come from a broken and contrite heart, and from a life yielded to the Lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, we pray that You would expose in our hearts the ways we fail in our walk with You. Uncover our neglect of honoring You by our thoughts, words, and deeds. May we return to You with weeping and mourning to experience Your grace, mercy, and steadfast love. Help us to walk in intimacy with You. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.