“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  Rend your heart and not our garments.  Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

– Joel 2:12-13

Today are you rending your heart and being genuine with God or are you rending just your garments and being superficial with God?  You see, God looks past all the things we hide behind to see our hearts!  Are you hiding behind your clothes, your wealth, your job, your car, your title, your house, your reputation, your friends, your family…?  This list goes on!  There are numerous things in this life that we can put before God, but God cannot be fooled because he knows the condition of our hearts!  He knows when we are being honest with him and when we are being fake!  He knows when we mean something from our heart and when we don’t!  God is not unaware of the games that we try to play with him… wanting him to see us, yet not wanting him to see everything!  Well, let me just say, God sees Absolutely EVERYTHING about You!!  Nothing is hidden from his sight!  It doesn’t matter how much we try to cover up or hide from him, he still sees Everything about us!  Basically, it is pointless for us to put anything in front of God, because all he has to do is take is Mighty Arm and knock all those things out of the way to get to us!  He can do it any time he so chooses!  He has the ability!  And nothing is too hard for him!  So today, if you are being superficial with God… constantly hiding behind things of this world, putting things in front of him, and not being sincere from your heart; just know that God does not want you there!  God wants you to be completely transparent with him and 100% honest with him from your heart!  He doesn’t want you to keep up this play and pretend act because it is getting you nowhere with him!  He wants a REAL relationship with you!  One where you can be completely open and honest with him!  God wants to see the Real side of you, not the fake!  So give him your heart, not your garments!  He doesn’t want your garments!  They mean nothing to him!  It’s only your heart that means something to him!  Tear open your heart and let him come in!  Come before him broken, come before him shattered, come before him humbled… and when you bring your Wide Open heart to him, he will fill you up with him! He will not leave you empty because he is a gracious and compassion God… slow to anger and Abounding in LOVE and he relents from sending calamity!  Rend your heart today!