Verse:

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.

Joel 2:12-13 NKJV

Encouragement

This is the first scripture in Delia Smith’s ‘A Feast for Lent’ which I picked up when I was at the end of myself having had two abortions a year apart. Over the next 40 days, I began to understand God’s love and grace and the extraordinary way in which Jesus came to save me from the judgement that was rightly mine. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and we were all lost, believing lies and living in the passions of our flesh. We were by nature children of wrath, but praise God for His tenderness and compassion towards the broken hearted – He brings healing and freedom to all who receive Him.

Respond:

Maybe you feel like you haven’t fully experienced that healing and freedom yet. If you are weary and have drifted away from Jesus, don’t harden your heart or doubt God’s love and provision. Turn to Him again and confess your sins, forgive as He has forgiven you, and spend time with Him every day if you can, in prayer and bible study. He longs for your whole heart. Fear him, walk in all his ways, love him with all your heart and soul and strength, obey his commands. Rejoice! He has won you and you are His.

Prayer

Father, I thank you that you are all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger and rich in graciousness. Help me to receive this truth in my inmost heart, so that it will free me and rescue me from fear and anxiety and all that keeps me from you. Forgive me for where I have doubted your promises and grown weary of following you, preferring the comfort of the world to obeying your word. I choose to return to you and receive healing and forgiveness. I love you Lord. Amen.