“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.” – Joel 2:12–13
There’s something powerful about the phrase “Even now.” It’s God’s way of saying: no matter how far you’ve gone, how long you’ve delayed or how much you’ve messed up, I'm still giving you an immediate opportunity to come back.
Joel 2:12–19 is not a soft invitation; it’s a blaring alarm from God to us. God is calling His people to return, not with empty rituals or surface-level apologies, but with genuine, broken-hearted repentance. In biblical times, tearing garments was a public sign of grief. But God says, 'I don’t want the show. I want your heart.'
In other words, He is saying 'keep your tears, if your heart is still far from me'.
"The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." Psalm 51:17 (NLT)
How many of us have mastered the outward appearance of spirituality, but are distant from God inside? We go to church, quote Scriptures, serve in ministries, yet secretly harbor sin, pride, resentment or unforgiveness. God wants us to be reformed and revived. Joel reminds us that God is not after performance. He’s after transformation.
Rending your heart means tearing away what’s hardened you. It means letting conviction lead to confession and letting sorrow turn into surrender. And here’s the beauty: when we return to God with real repentance, He responds with mercy. Verse 13 tells us He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
Are you in a dry season spiritually? Do you feel far from God? “Even now,” He says come back. Not with religious duty, but with raw honesty and humility. Cry out. Fast. Repent of your sin. Not because God wants to shame you, but because He longs to restore you.
Joel 2 ends with a promise: when we truly return, God brings renewal. He drives out the enemy, restores the land and blesses His people again.
Let this be your moment to rend your heart. Don’t settle for religious routines and traditions when what God wants is a real relationship. Allow revival to start in your heart.
Prayer:
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12 (NIV)
Lord, I surrender my heart to You. Take all of me. Restore me and let revival begin in me.
In Jesus name. Amen.