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 NIV
Return
Following World War 1, Canadian soldiers returning home faced many physical and emotional challenges, so the Canadian government produced a 12-page booklet given to each of the returnees. It began by saying “In order to assist you the Dominion government has created a special department known as the “Department of Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment.” The department has already important work in aiding to civilian life of your disabled comrades who went back to Canada before you.”
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Jesus told the parable of the soils, and over the centuries we have seen this Kingdom principle to be the experience of many. For some, the Gospel is shared but they don’t get it. For others, the ground of their hearts is rocky, and the seed of the Gospel never takes root. For others, it takes root but soon withers in the midst of the storms and wilderness times of life. And for many, the Gospel takes root and bears much fruit. In our day, we hear of those who have deconstructed their faith – turning their back on Jesus and the faith they once testified to. The prophet Joel knew of those like this – deconstructing faith may be a new term, but the idea is as old as the book of Genesis – and says this in Joel 2:13: “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.” No matter how far you have wandered from Jesus, He is always waiting to welcome you back. God calls you back to Him, back to a place of intimacy with Him, back again to home with Him.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley