Joel 2:12-14

“Even now,” declares the Lord“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”13 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. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.

The book of Joel begins with God’s punishment towards his people.

In Joel 1, you will find that locusts have devoured the land, nations have invaded it, and everything is dried up.

Joel 2 is the turnaround. The people began to return to God and humble themselves before him and God relents on his punishment and restores the people.

Over and over again the Bible tells a tale similar to this; God’s people seek his face, then turn their back on Him and break all of His rules. Then, calamity strikes and they are back humble before God.

Isn’t that how we are? We know the right things to do but refuse to do them. Yet, the minute something goes wrong, we are back on our knees begging for God. He comes every time.

But through my rebellion, it leads me to ask. Is Christianity really about grace or is it about rules? Because right now, this book seems like a bunch of “do’s” and “don’ts.”

But what I’m really asking is what does God really want from me?

[Continue Reading Here]