Joel M Bradshaw

14If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORDyour God, it will be well. 15But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.–1 Samuel 12

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (Matthew 15:18-19)

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God…(Joel 2:12-13a)

In a speech similar to ones Moses gave in Deuteronomy, Samuel laid out the national policy. It was going to be either obedience or rebellion. God also therefore promised that he himself would be against them if they rebelled. Generations later when the nation is attacked by Assyria and Babylon (read the final sections of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles), Bible students remember moments like 1 Samuel 12.

Jesus in the Matthew verse above described the real problem with people. The prophet Joel described how to return to God. They both involve the inside first. For true rebellion involves the heart. So God wants the heart of a man which in turn leads to outward obedience. The outer you flows from the inner you. True repentance also involves the heart.

So what is your story? Do you live life as a rebel before God or as an obedient servant? Today’s text grabbed ahold of me, as well.–JMB