MY
DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL
Devotion
for Wednesday May 3, 2017
Topic:
Rend Your Hearts
Text:
Joel 2:12 – 17
God hates mere outward religious
observance that does not reflect in the spirit. What God desire so much from us
is not our outward show (sacrifices) as much as broken and contrite heart (Ps.
51:14–19, see Isa. 1:11, 13 & Jer. 6:20). It is only when we have truly repented
that our sacrifices will be accepted (Ps. 51:19). Remember what Samuel told
Saul in 1 Sam. 15:22. Joel spoke to the Israelites about the need to mortify
their affections and serve God with pureness of heart, and not with ceremonies.
His focus was that they should not merely rend their garments, but let their
hearts be truly contrite.
Merely external worship and
hypocritical pretensions will only increase the evil, and cause God to meet
them with heavier punishment. Let there be the inward sorrow of heart, and not
the mere outward manifestation of it by "rending the garment" (Josh.
7:6) because our God is gracious; good and benevolent in His own nature. He is
also merciful; pitying and forgiving us when we repent. He is slow to anger.
However, when He gets angry, it is fearful to fall into His hands (Heb. 10:31).
God desire our true and genuine repentance, and not showing off with our
presence, prayers, offering, tithes, etc, when our hearts are actually far from
Him. Let there be genuine rending of our hearts.
Food
for Thought:
A pretender can deceive people as much as he wants but can never deceive God.
Memory
verse: Joel
2 verse 13
Prayer:
God, make to repent truly and never to be a pretender in your presence.
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