Joel 2:13,32

Joel 2:13,32 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. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. When the Old Testament Jews were extremely sorrowful the would tear their clothes and throw dust over their heads. Sounds kind of strange to us, but I wonder what they would have thought of playing video games. So in our verses, Joel says that God would rather a backslider tear his heart than to tear his clothes. I can see that. God is more interested in speaking to the very core of our being than for us to make some kind of an outward show. And just like the Jew of Joel’s day, If we are truly sorry for our sins and rebellion against our God, and if we truly repent, God will forgive and will restore our fellowship. God stands ready to forgive and to love. But how about us? Are we ready to ask for forgiveness and to return to God?

Joel 1:2,3

Joel 1:2,3 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. Sometimes young people look around and think that the things going on now are the way that they have been going on forever. But, things change. Things change from your parents’ generation to your generation. And things have changed from my generation to your parents’ generation. I remember when gasoline was 30¢ for a gallon. Now it is over $2! I bought a brand new car in 1974 for $2,770. Now the cheapest is about $14,000! But that’s not all that has changed. People have changed. The world is growing more and more evil. People are not as kind or helpful as they were forty years ago. Morals are changing. So what should we do? Tell our children about the Lord and His goodness. And they should tell their children about the Lord and His goodness. Can you guess what you should tell your children? That’s right, tell them about the Lord and His goodness. Don’t let your responsibility to God slip by. Tell the next children in line about God and His goodness.

Hosea 14:9

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. God reminds us that wise folk do wise things. Foolish people do foolish things. What you do reveals what is in your heart. Oh, you can say that you love God, but what do you do? Do you act like you love God? Here in the last verse of Hosea, God reminds us that we have a choice: Follow after the ways of the Lord or follow after the ways of sinners. Stop and consider which path you are on. The good path or the foolish path. the choice is up to you.