rending hearts

"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." 

Joel 2:12

Rend: to split or tear apart or into pieces violently

The rending of garments in the Bible marked deep anguish, grief or sorrow. Often one would rend their clothes upon the death of a dear friend or family member. For example, Jacob rent his clothes when he saw Joseph's coat stained with blood. (Gen 37:34)

Seeing our own hearts stained with sin should provoke the same action. For sinners, heart rending is necessary. When we come face-to-face with God's glory, and thus face-to-face with our fallen nature, there is no other response. 

Thinking about things of the heart is exhausting. But I challenge you. Examine your motives. Your emotions. Your anger. Your jealousy. I have found that when I ask myself why I do the things I do and why I have the thoughts that I do, I am confronted with a truth that my mortal flesh desires to deny. I am wicked.

Praise the Lord for overcoming not only the depths of my depravity, but the entire world's! I cannot wait to see one day with the veil of sin removed from my eyes, where the beauty revealed now is simply the tip of the iceberg.