ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

With this message, we begin hearing from members of All Saints who wrote for our Lenten devotional:

Joel 2:12-13 “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 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 speaks about the return of our Lord and how we are to wait for God.  During the time when this was written, King Uzziah was in the height of his reign.  The lifestyle most lived was one of self-indulgence.  It was also a time when people would observe various religious practices.  However, what they practiced and what was in their heart were often two different things. 

Joel first states that God will return and what would God think of returning to a people who were not giving everything they had to God?  In verse 12, the Lord says, “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”   God is saying, if you are going to doing something in my name, put your heart into it.  Let it mean something.  Don’t just do it because you think it puts on a good show.

It goes on to say, in verse 13, “rend your heart, and not your garments.”  If you look up rend in the dictionary, it doesn’t just mean to give something up, it means to rip violently from its place.  What an image!  Don’t just give your heart to God, but rip your heart violently away from the things that hold you back from God. 

What things are holding you back from being fully able to wait on the Lord?  Take time during Lent and make this a time to return to God with all your heart.

Kimberly Kuhlman 

Join with the All Saints community for Ash Wednesday worship (Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes) at both noon and 7 pm. A dramatic interpretation of the Gospel will happen at the 7 pm service.