12 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God?
Prayer Focus: Why do we return to the Lord? Why do we seek to be in the Lord’s presence? Isn’t it easier to be out there on our own, making our own way, doing what we want without regard for others? Is it the threat of punishment and bad consequences that ultimately drives us back to the Lord? The prophet Joel invites us to see another way. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We return to the Lord because God loves us. We seek to live a righteous life because God loves us. We embrace a particular way of life in the world because God loves us. Pray that you might remember God’s great love for you today. Share that love with someone who has forgotten.
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