ESOCS Devotional 12 October 2021
TEXT: JOEL 2: 12-22
MEMORY VERSE: “And rend your hearts, 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.”(Joel 2:13 KJV).
The Lord has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He rather desires that the sinner turn from his wicked ways and live (Ezek. 33:11). In line with God’s stand on the fate of sinners, Joel called on the people to repent and return to the Lord. He called for mourning and fasting, that disaster may be averted.
In Psalm 51:17, the psalmist says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” Hence, Apostle Paul admonished sinners to repent, and be converted, that their sins may be blotted out. People need to completely turn to God, with total remorse and broken penitence. (Acts 3:19).
In verses 16-17, the call for repentance was to all the people, indicating that the entire nation had developed a culture of sin. Just like the case today that sin has become the peoples’ way of life. In fact, those who preach against sin, or who try to live sinless lives, are seen as old fashioned.
Let us all come to the Lord with bended knee, so He would have mercy on us. Why would we refuse to live in Christ? Why would we continue to grieve our God? Let us all come to the Lord with a wholesome heart. Let us not continue to grieve God’s heart by waywardness and sinfulness, for it shows that we are ungrateful for the great work He did for us on the cross. This shouldn’t be.
- Whether we repent or not, it does not matter. Christ has taken away all our sins through His death on the cross. Do you agree with this view?
- Lord, we have sinned, and nor worthy to come close. Please forgive us.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Zechariah 8: 1-8; Matthew 16: 13-28; Acts 12: 1-11.
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ESOCS Devotional 12 October 2021
