God’s Deepest Desire – to Know YOU!

Rejoice, O people of Jerusalem, rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rains he sends are tokens of forgiveness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as those of spring.

─ Joel 2:23 TLB

Joel, a prophet to Judah, spoke for God to warn His people to turn back to Him before they experienced His judgment. Most of the people of Judah had become well-to-do and content on their own, no longer walking with God.

In just three very short chapters in the Old Testament, Joel distinguishes between the reverent fear of God’s judgment with the pleasure of God’s intervention. “That is why the Lord says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead’” (2:12-13 NLT). Sin brings judgment, but God’s forgiveness brings celebration. Without repentance, there is judgment – not because God is angry, but because it’s the outcome of sin without atonement.

When God pardons us, He restores us to relationship with Him. He promises to meet our deepest needs: reflected in today’s verse (Joel 2:23). We can celebrate because the rains bring us out of our old season and into a new one, walking with Him.

God’s desire is to know you intimately and for you to experience His unconditional love. Once God intervenes in our lives because our hearts are turned to Him, like Joel prophesied to God’s people, we no longer have reason to fear judgment, but instead we experience a new season of mercy and grace.

Today’s One Thing

Are you ready for a new season? Are you ready for the rains to come and wash away the pain of past hardships? Spend time in prayer today asking God for a fresh, new season of knowing Him more deeply.

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