Topic: Rend your heart
Bible Reading: Joel 1-3; Revelation 4.
Memory Verse: “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Joel 2:13 (KJV).
God is ever willing to show mercy and forgive your sins as long as you are truly remorseful and repentant. Just like the father of the prodigal son accepted him back after showing remorse and repenting of his wasteful behaviour, God is interested in every repentant soul. Please note that in the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, he had not reached his father before the latter ran towards him; because the father knew that the son had rent his heart when he made up his mind to arise and go to his father to tell him that he had sinned against heaven and him. Luke 15:20 (KJV) says of the pathetic prodigal son; “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
God requires that everyone should have true repentance right in his heart towards Him and He will forgive and accept such a person back. This is why He says in Joel 2:13 (KJV), “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” God is not interested in eye service like Saul did when God asked him to kill all living things in Amalek but he saved the king and the best of sheep, oxen, lambs and other good things and when Samuel pronounced that God had taken the kingdom from Saul for his disobedience, instead of him to repent and seek the face of God for forgiveness, he was interested in not being dishonored in the presence of his followers! In 1 Samuel 15:30 (KJV), “Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.”
God is more interested in your true repentance shown by rending your heart and not in your gift to Him or His prophets as some people do when they steal money and then pay tithe and make huge donations to church from it. God is not mocked, whatever a man sows he will reap ( Galatian 6:7).
Several years ago, while I was still an unbeliever, we had this minister in one of the Pentecostal churches who was working for a multinational company then. He was required to deposit the company’s money with the banks and earn interest on it for the company. But he would ask that part of the interest earned on the money be given to him while the balance be given to the company. That portion given to him was always paid in cash and whenever the bank official took the money to him, he would collect it and pray for them in tongues! And the bank officials then used to make a mockery of the minister; who was stealing from his employer and still behaving he was holy! God cannot be mocked. Such behaviour send the wrong signals to unbelievers and grieves God. If you are involved in any sin, you need to repent, forsake the sinful ways and come to God with a sincere heart and He will accept you and give you another chance. You cannot deceive Him, He knows everything about you!
Action point: Call on God for mercy in all areas you are not sincere with Him, forsake your sinful ways and begin a life of total obedience.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero