December 18

Morning

So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. — Joel 2:13 BSB

Tearing garments and displaying other outward signs of religious emotion is easy, but true repentance is much more difficult and, consequently, much rarer. Unsaved people are often willing to engage in numerous religious rituals, for such acts please the flesh. But genuine godliness is too humbling, too heart-searching, and too spiritual for the natural man to desire. They prefer something more showy, more superficial, and more worldly. Outward religious practices offer temporary comfort; they please the eyes and ears, feed pride, and inflate self-righteousness. But these acts are ultimately deceptive, for on the day of judgment, the soul needs more than empty rituals to lean on.

Without true, heart-felt godliness, all religion is utterly worthless. Every form of worship offered without sincerity of heart is nothing but a solemn pretense and an offensive mockery of God’s majesty.

True heart-rending is a work of God, and it is deeply felt. It is a personal grief, experienced in the depths of the soul, not in outward form but as a powerful work of the Holy Spirit within the believer’s heart. This kind of repentance is not something we merely talk about—it is something we deeply feel. It is humbling, cleansing, and purifying. And it prepares the soul to receive the sweet comforts that proud, unrepentant people can never enjoy. This heart-rending is a mark of the elect of God and belongs to them alone.

The Bible commands us to rend our hearts, but by nature, our hearts are hard as stone. How can we possibly break them? We must take them to Calvary! The voice of a dying Savior once rent the rocks, and it is still just as powerful today. Blessed Spirit, let us hear the dying cries of Jesus, and our hearts will be broken by the sight of His suffering!

Evening

Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds; — Prov 27:23 BSB

Every wise merchant occasionally takes stock, reviewing his accounts, examining what he has, and determining whether his business is thriving or failing. In the same way, every wise believer will cry out, “Search me, O God, and try me!” He will regularly set aside time for self-examination to ensure that his relationship with God is right.

The God we worship is the great heart-searcher. His servants in the past knew Him as the “Righteous God, who searches minds and hearts.” In His name, I urge you to make a diligent and solemn search of your spiritual state, so that you do not fall short of the promised rest.

Just as every wise person examines their affairs, and just as God searches all hearts, I encourage you to do the same tonight. Let the oldest saint carefully examine the foundation of their faith, for even a gray head may hide a black heart. Let not the young believer ignore this warning, for the freshness of youth can be tainted by the decay of hypocrisy. The enemy is still sowing weeds among the wheat.

My purpose is not to plant doubt and fear in your heart; no, quite the opposite. I hope that the rough wind of self-examination will help blow away any lingering doubts! It is not true security I seek to challenge but carnal security. I do not want to undermine true confidence but destroy false confidence. I seek to remove the false peace that the world gives, not the genuine peace that comes from God. By the precious blood of Christ, which was shed to make you sincere worshippers, not hypocrites, I urge you to examine your heart. Look closely, so that at the last day, it will not be said of you, “You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting!”