“Now, therefore, AMY” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So REND YOUR HEART, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.” (Joel 2:12-13) In the Old Testament, people commonly expressed great grief and anguish by tearing their cloaks. But more than caring about the proper “signs” of being upset about their sin, God cared that they ACTUALLY GRIEVED OVER THEM in their hearts — grieved to the point of weeping and mourning.
In David’s famous psalm of repentance, he reminds us that God does not delight so much in the outward signs of repentance (which included making a sacrifice), but “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.” (Psa. 51:17) I’m not talking about shame and condemnation the enemy wants to heap on AMY, but a godly sorrow.
“God perhaps will grant AMY repentance, so that she may know the truth…” (2 Tim. 2:25)
-Bill Stockham