The Risen Christنموونە

Return to Me

Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. (Joel 2:12)

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the day many Christian churches observe with a special service that includes the marking of worshipers with ashes as a symbol of humility and repentance.

The people of Israel were looking forward to what they called “the day of the Lord.” They couldn’t wait for it to arrive because they believed that it would bring judgment on their enemies. Not so fast, says the prophet Joel. “Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes” (Joel 1:15). When God comes it means judgment for everyone.

But while making this clear, Joel also highlights God’s alternative. The God of the Israelites is a God of mercy. If there is terror and destruction for the wicked when he comes, there can also be peace and security for those who repent and turn to him. “‘Yet even now,’ says the Lord” (2:12)—those words are an invitation. They remind us that it is still not too late to repent, to turn back to God. Biblical repentance means changing our minds about what’s true, changing our hearts about the things we value, changing our actions to please God. The great message of the Bible is not inescapable doom; it’s about how to be saved.

There’s another great verse in the book of Joel: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32). The apostle Paul quoted that verse in Romans 10:13 to explain how the gospel works. The name of the Lord revealed in the Gospels is “Jesus,” and he really does save everyone who calls upon him in faith.

PRAYER: Lord, I return to you in repentance and faith.