Joel 2:12–13

“Yet even now, says the Lord, with fasting,

with weeping, and with mourning;

return to me with all your heart,

rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to the Lord your God,

    for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,

    and relenting from punishment.”

Lent begins with an invitation, not an accusation. Through the prophet Joel, God speaks tenderly: “Return to Me with all your heart.” These words reveal the heart of our Father. He is not standing at a distance with folded arms. He is calling us home. Sometimes we drift without noticing. Our prayers become rushed. Our worship becomes routine. Our hearts become divided. Yet even in our wandering, God’s grace remains steady. The Lord described in Joel is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” Lent is not about earning forgiveness; it is about responding to mercy already offered. To return to God means more than feeling sorry. It means turning—reordering our priorities, confessing honestly, and reopening our hearts. It means trusting that no matter how far we have wandered, the way back is always open. I bless you to hear God’s voice personally with 40 days of Lenten Devotion. The Lord desires your whole heart—not perfection, not performance, but surrender.