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A CALL TO RETURN


“‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ 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.” Joel 2:12-13 NIV

One of the many good things of following the church calendar is, it helps us to check and stay in tune with God, to stay in God’s story!

Ash Wednesday is  day of repentance, marking the 6 weeks of preparation for Easter, the Resurrection. The Scripture text today serves as God’s call for all His people: “return to me with all your heart ... rend your heart and not your garment...” 

It’s not just a fashion to put ashes on foreheads before going to school or work although it’s a good practice to remind us of our mortality, “from ashes we come to ashes we shall return”. The ashes, as symbol, also help to strengthen our desire to repent/return to God. 

It’s not merely fasting and restrain ourselves from many worldly luxury... “rend your heart not your garment” (your appearance or outward expressions.) 
Ash Wednesday is a heart business, it’s a matter between “me and God” no one else, not even the church. Because when we set our heart aright with God, others (marriage, family, work, social life, and so on) will fall into place.

So, what is there in the heart of our heart? What have I stored in my heart and where do I anchor my heart? Like the loving Father in the story of the prodigal son, God is waiting for us to return to Him, to anchor our hearts in His heart! Joel reminded us “God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Instead of calamity, Today, God is sending out His grace and love to lull us back to Him. Let’s not harden our hearts! Let’s return to God with all our hearts! ~plt060319



#pltwrites #ashwednesday #BookofJoel #returntoGod #repentance #ashestoashes #ChurchCalendar

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