"And rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”

Joel 2:13

It can be easy to give large one-time or short-term offerings to people. I’ve seen people write one big check, spend a day helping someone move, or offering help hoping that they will never be called on to fulfill the offer; going through the motions is easy. What is hard to do (but good and right) is to be faithful and consistent.

God is telling Israel not to go through the motions of repenting (I.E. tearing their garments or displaying showy outbursts of remorse). Instead, God tells them “give me your hearts, not your clothes!” Giving God clothes, or money, or Sunday mornings is easy (or should be) but giving him your hearts is true worship and all God wants.

This is also why in Isaiah 1:13 God says "Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.” The problem was not WHAT they brought but HOW they brought it. God has been seeking a reconciled relationship with us since the first sin in the garden and God is seeking nothing less than a fully restored relationship with us forever. So, brothers, stay faithful! Seek the Lord!

With prayer,

Pastor Seth