God Fights Against Us
Rend Your Heart
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.
14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
weep between the temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' "
Bee's Thoughts:
"return to me with all your heart" (v13).
The Lord demands ALL our heart, not just a portion of it....
As I look into my heart,
I saw a number of things:
People I love so much
And all my heart's longings.
Where is my dear Lord?
Are You even here?
He is by the wall
Waiting for me to come near.
I am sorry my dear Lord,
Now take all my heart.
Take all I have got
Let me have a new start.
- Your child Bee
I saw a number of things:
People I love so much
And all my heart's longings.
Where is my dear Lord?
Are You even here?
He is by the wall
Waiting for me to come near.
I am sorry my dear Lord,
Now take all my heart.
Take all I have got
Let me have a new start.
- Your child Bee
Tommy's Thoughts:
My church’s speaker told a story about a Christian who complained to God for not punishing those unbelieving bad people swiftly but allowing them to flourish and prosper. He argued how unfair for God to bring hardship and suffering to him instead.
Then, God answered him by saying the suffering he’s going through now is like God gently and delicately pruning all those twigs in him with a sharp scissor. And He does that while holding him lovingly in His caring arm.
But for those disobeying bad people that does not remain in Him, He will be chopping off them like a dying branch with a big axe and thrown into the fire and be burned! (John 15:6)
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to remain in You even as the going get tough. Teach me not to hold back from turning to You completely. Guide me to surrender all my needs, worries and concerns to You, trusting You to take care of all of them.
Thank You O Wonderful and Loving God,
In You, I find true rest, peace and love,
Because of You I discover truths,
And You alone, I desire more than everything.
In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.
