A Time to Rend - The Christian Online Magazine

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Job 11:13-15 - "If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward Him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear."

This message deals with the solemn business of RETURNING UNTO THE LORD. In 1 Samuel 7:3, Samuel the Prophet told the Israelites that if they had any intentions of ever returning unto the Lord, they would have to put away idolatry and PREPARE THEIR HEARTS unto the Lord. In the opening verses of this message, Zophar, in his dialogue with Job, tells us that in order to PREPARE OUR HEARTS, we have to deal with SIN in our lives. Then and only then will we ever be in right standing with God and enjoy the blessings of the Lord.

What does it mean to PREPARE OUR HEARTS unto the LORD? What does it entail? The word "PREPARE" means to direct aright, fix aright, to be morally stedfast, and to be restored. The HEART is the seat of the appetites, emotions, and passions. To PREPARE THE HEART then is to set aright or restore the appetites, emotions, and passions so that they are firmly established in the Word of God.

How do we go about PREPARING OUR HEARTS UNTO THE LORD? The Scriptures give us three basic procedures to follow:

1. WE MUST SEE SIN AS RUINOUS

It is a known fact that we generally do not do what we hate. In order to hate sin enough to avoid it at all costs in our lives, we have to see it from God's perspective. Ezekiel 18:30 implies that SIN is very deadly - "...so iniquity shall not be your ruin." It acts as a stumbling block or a means or occasion for stumbling. It is the cause of our faltering or falling away along the pilgrim's path. Unless repented of, it actually becomes our "RUIN." Psalm 34:21 tells us, "Evil shall slay the wicked..." SIN destroys those who are rebellious toward God. In fact, the very SIN that people delight in oftentimes becomes their Bane or source of RUIN.

SIN will either DESTROY us or CORRECT us. The Prophet Hosea admonished God's people who were backslidden on God by saying, " O Israel, thou has destroyed thyself..." (Hosea 13:9) The Prophet Jeremiah told God's people, "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee..."(Jeremiah 2:19) Which is it? DESTRUCTION or CORRECTION?

SIN corrupts, mars, spoils, and brings about much decay. It hinders the bountiful blessings of God in our lives. We see this evidenced in Jeremiah's words - "Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you." (Jeremiah 5:25) It is the cause of most of our troubles as proven by the words of the Prophet Jeremiah - "Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when He led thee by the way?" (Jeremiah 2:17) On the other hand, it serves as God's instrument to chasten, punish, discipline, or admonish us - "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee..." (Jeremiah 2:19) - in hopes that we will turn before it RUINS us.

How do we see SIN today? Do we see it as the destructive force that it is? Do we avoid it at all costs? At first, God may use our own SIN to correct and chasten us by withholding good things from us. But if not swiftly repented of, it will effect our TOTAL RUIN someday.

2. WE MUST REPENT OF SIN IN OUR LIVES

Throughout the Scriptures, we find the call to God's people to REPENT or turn back to God from all their rebellion and perversity. Ezekiel 18:30 calls us to, "...REPENT, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions...." Joel 2:12 calls us to TURN TO THE LORD with all of our heart - with fasting, weeping, and mourning over SIN. Jeremiah 4:1 admonishes us to be sure to RETURN UNTO THE LORD and to no one or nothing else - "If thou wilt RETURN, O Israel...RETURN unto Me..." Zechariah 1:3 promises us that when we TURN BACK TO THE LORD, He, in turn, will RETURN to us - "...TURN ye unto Me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will TURN unto you..."

Have we heard this call from God to TURN FROM all stubbornness, rebellion, and disobedience? Have we taken heed to the admonitions of the Prophets of old? Or are we deceived in that we hear the Word of the Lord, yet do not obey it? (James 1:22)

3. WE MUST REND OUR HEARTS

The Prophet Joel called for the people of God to "...rend your heart, and not your garments..." (Joel 2:13) The RENDING OF THE GARMENTS was an statement of some overpowering emotional grief, terror, or anger. For instance, Reuben, when returning unto the pit wherewith the brothers placed Joseph and finding him not there, rent his clothes.(Genesis 37:29) When Jacob saw his son Joseph's robe covered in blood, he rent his clothes, mourning that an evil beast devoured his son and tore him in pieces.(Genesis 37:34) On hearing of the death of Saul and Jonathan, two of the greatest warriors in the army of Israel, David rent his clothes and "likewise all the men that were with him." (2 Samuel 1:11) In great anguish of soul, Tamar rent her garment of diverse colors which symbolized her virginity that was stolen by her brother Amnon when he connived and forced himself on her. (2 Samuel 13:19) There is NO doubt that the RENDING OF THE GARMENT was an statement of extreme emotional anguish. Yet the Prophet Joel in a sense is saying that God does not want from us an outward show of grief as exemplified here. He is requiring an inner work of the heart - "...REND YOUR HEART, AND NOT YOUR GARMENT..."

In this time and age that we live in, many want to settle for a superficial REPENTANCE or TURNING FROM SIN. Simple lip service seems to be the accepted form of REPENTANCE. As a result, many lives do not demonstrate a drastic change from DARKNESS to LIGHT and from DEATH unto LIFE. God is calling for more than the outward show. He is calling for a RENDING OF THE HEART - a tearing in pieces, a cutting out, or tearing away of everything that is defiling and corruptible.

The Scriptures bear witness to the fact that God desires a broken heart and a contrite or crushed spirit. These are the two very essential characteristics of TRUE REPENTANCE. Psalm 34:18 tells us, "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 147:3 tells us, "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." Also, Psalm 51:17 tells us, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." In other words, to such a heart that is broken and shattered by the grief and shame of sin, God is ready to hear, help, and grant His blessing of forgiveness.

Have we RENT OUR HEARTS in brokenness over our disobedience to God? Or are we lighthearted or nonchalant about REPENTANCE FROM SIN?

How important is it that we PREPARE OUR HEARTS unto the LORD? According to the Scriptures, it is a matter of either receiving God's approbation or disapproval on our lives. For instance, 2 Chronicles 19:3 says of King Jehoshaphat who PREPARED HIS HEART unto the LORD - "Nevertheless there are GOOD THINGS found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast PREPARED THINE HEART to seek God." On the other hand, it is said of King Rehoboam who DID NOT PREPARE HIS HEART unto the LORD - "And he did EVIL, because he PREPARED NOT HIS HEART to seek the LORD." (2 Chronicles 12:14)

What would God say of us today? Are we doing GOOD or EVIL? It all depends on whether or not we are PREPARING OUR HEARTS unto the LORD. In order to do so, we must see SIN as God sees it - utterly despicable. We must TURN FROM all rebellion, stubbornness, and disobedience. We must REND OUR HEARTS in shame and sorrow for SIN. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Verse 7 tells us specifically what time it is for us today - It is "A TIME TO REND..." Joel 2:13 - "AND REND YOUR HEART, AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS, AND TURN UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD..."