Rend your heart!

Joel 2: 12-13
"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."

Let's start with the definition of "rend" :
To tear or split , usually clothing or hair, as a sign of anger, grief or dispair. It can also mean to lacerate mentally or emotionally. Or to pierce with sound.

In Biblical days it was common for one to tear his clothing as a sign of grief, anger or dispair. We may not see this so much these days, but this still applies. It's second nature, or maybe first for some, to put on a face that goes along with what we say.... such as when you appologize for bumping into someone, your face usually matches your words....until you look away and then many times thats when the grumbling and finger-pointing starts. " Well maybe if you knew how to stay on your own side you wouldnt be running into people! ", you may speak harshly under your breath. This is exactly what the Word is talking about here.

To rend the clothing ( or put on an act ) is an outward expression and doesn't always ring true to what the heart is doing. The Word is calling for us to cry out and lacerate our hearts, with true repentance, removing the sin which holds us. He wants our TRUE repentance and wants us to turn from our ways and back to Him.

You may think that weeping and fasting is an outward expression, and it is, to a degree. But they are also emotional and spiritual. When we fast, we are making a sacrifice, and when done properly and for the right reasons, there is a change made in our hearts and spirits.

Are you rending your heart? Or have you simply done the actions? The LORD simply wants us to turn to Him with all of our hearts. Just as He commanded us to love him with all our hearts, all our minds and all our strength.