“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He relents from doing harm.
Joel 2:12-14
What do you do when you reach the end of your emotional rope? Do you shut down and shut out the noise? Do you explode in an unhealthy outburst? Do you drop to your knees in prayer to God?We’ve all had that moment when we did not know how we would hold on until the next moment, when it seemed like time stood still and survival hung in the balance. This is how I was feeling as I went to the grocery store last week. I had spent the weekend working on an Emmaus Walk, a 72-hour experience where you are immersed in the love of God, and upon returning to the real world, I was shocked at how much life had changed. After seeing the empty shelves in the grocery store, I would like to say my first response was prayer for those who were so anxious they felt the need to hoard toilet paper. In truth, I may have to admit to wishing that God would destroy the supplies of those who took more than their families could use, like He did when the Israelites tried to stockpile manna.
Sadly, my first response to crisis is always to explode, to rant at God for not preventing the situation or not reaching down to make everything all right. I rend my garments, reacting with what I feel is justified and righteous anger, and maybe it is justified, but I don’t believe that is what God is calling us to do. He asks us to rend our hearts, instead, “with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Regardless of our immediate reaction, it isn’t too late to return to God and drop to our knees in prayer. Will you join me in praying for our world, and our country? For those who react in fear, for those who react in anger, and for those who are unable to react at all? If we will do this, if we return to God, we know that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He relents from doing harm.”
Father, we come to you today with broken and contrite hearts. This world seems to be spiraling into despair, and we feel helpless and afraid. Forgive us for our immediate reactions, if needed, and help us to rely on you during this crisis. Encourage those who are afraid, calm those who are angry, and draw out those who have shut down. We come to you, Lord, fasting and weeping and mourning, and ask for your grace, your mercy, and your kindness as we live in this broken world. Please encourage us to reach out to others who are hurting and to continue to be lights in the darkness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
