“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil”— Joel 2:12, 1312Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. (Joel 2:12‑13).
THE only times that the Lord is spoken of as repenting, in connection with His own children, are when He turns from judgment to mercy, from chastening to restoring grace. He delights in manifesting the loving-kindness of His heart to His erring ones when they come to Him in self-judgment and contrition of soul, confessing their backslidings. Then His love can flow out freely and He can and will be a Father unto them who thus take the place before Him where they can appropriate His forgiving grace. A broken heart over sin, He will never despise.
“In a time of deep dejection
Jesus journeyed by,
Saw my heart was dull and empty,
Gently asked me ‘Why?’
Then I told Him all the story
Of my bitter woe,
How my hopes and joys had perished
Many years ago.
And the tears were softly dropping
As I told Him all,
Yet He did not chide my weeping,
Though He saw them fall.
But when I had told the story,
Lovingly He came,
Filled, Himself, the vacant chambers,
Blessed be His name!
Now no more my heart is vacant,
Nevermore can he;
Filled with Jesus, ‘Jesus only,’
For eternity!”