Scripture
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.
Reflection
Much of the Christian walk is not about ‘going’ as much as it is about ‘returning.’ We were made by God, for God, and to be with God. The plan was never for us to be away from His presence. But sin separated us and, as a result, humanity has been wandering in a proverbial desert, searching for but not finding what truly satisfies. However our goal should not be to find a new home; rather it is to return to the home in which we were never intended to leave.
God calls us to return to Him.
“’Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘Return to me with all your heart.”
God is calling us home. Repentance is the act of turning away from that which separates us from God. Anything that is given supremacy above God in our hearts – even things that we think are good, like friends, family and careers – are sources of separation. Only when Christ is given supremacy in our hearts can we truly be empowered to enjoy our relationships, have purpose in our careers and live healthy, fruitful lives.
You are called to be with Him who is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. God is calling you to return home to His presence (Charlie).
Thoughts for the day
- Is there anything you should repent from?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in an area of your life that needs transformation?
- Is there anyone you think should hear or will benefit from this message? Go and tell them.
Prayer
ACKNOWLEDGE GOD’S POWER As humans, we can forget that ultimately, God has created the world and is not absent from it but all-powerful in it: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all who live in it.” – Psalm 34
