Verse from Joel

“你们要撕裂你们的心肠，不要撕裂你们的衣服。并要归向耶和华你们的神，因为他有恩典有怜悯，不轻易发怒，并且有丰盛的慈爱，随时转意不降灾祸。”
‭‭约珥书‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭

“And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭

In many cultures, loud weeping, wailing, and the tearing of clothing are accepted ways of lamenting personal sorrow or a great national calamity. For the people of Old Testament Israel, similar outward actions expressed deep mourning and repentance for turning away from the Lord.

An outward demonstration of repentance can be a powerful process when it comes from our heart. But without a sincere inward response to God, we may simply be going through the motions, even in our communities of faith.
After a plague of locusts devastated the land of Judah, God, through the prophet Joel, called the people to sincere repentance to avoid His further judgment. “ ‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning’ ” (Joel 2:12). Then Joel called for a response from deep inside (v13). True repentance comes from the heart.

Whatever you need to tell the Lord today, just say it—from the heart.

Lord,
please give me a heart of repentance to see myself as You do.
Give me the grace to respond to Your merciful call for change.

 God wants to hear your heart.