Joel 1:13-14

Joel 1:13-14 (ESV): “13  Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. 14  Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”

Repentance is the way back into fellowship with God. We are not saved by repentance but by Christ alone; however, our confession of sin and turning from it restores our relationship with Him (1 John 1:6–9).

Joel prophesied in Judah prior to the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria. He pleaded with the people of Judah to repent—not only for their individual sin but also for the sin of the nation as a whole. Under the wicked reign of Queen Athaliah, Judah had fallen into spiritual desolation, and Joel urged the priests and leaders to repent before God brought judgment upon them.

What does repentance look like in your life? Joel taught that it begins with mourning over sin. Paul likewise wrote that “godly sorrow produces repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance also involves consecration—setting yourself apart for the Lord and His purposes. To repent means to recognize your sin, confess it, turn from it, and devote yourself fully to God. That is the heart of true repentance. Amen?

Father, how great and awesome You are. We pray for a genuine heart of repentance. Help us see our sin as You see it, and give us the strength to turn away from it and turn to You. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.