Return to the Lord With All Your Heart

The holiness of God is not merely an attribute of God that we learn about through His Word. The holiness of God demands a response from our lives. As we grow in our knowledge of the holy God, we become increasingly aware that our lives must also be aligned with His will.

In Joel 2, God gives His people a very clear call:

“Return to Me with all your heart.”

This is a call to genuine repentance. God does not merely want outward changes. He wants a transformation that begins in the heart.

Sometimes we may look good before people, but our hearts may be far from God. We may attend services, sing, pray, serve, and participate in many spiritual activities, while at the same time our hearts may be losing their love for God.

That is why God says, “Return to Me with all your heart.”

True repentance is not simply changing our behavior for a short period of time. Repentance means returning to God with our whole heart and surrendering our lives to Him again.

1. God Calls Us to Return to Him

Joel 2:12 begins with the call: “Return to Me...”

These words show that God’s people had been walking on the wrong path and needed to return to God.

The same can happen in our lives. There are times when we do not openly abandon God, but little by little our hearts begin to drift away from Him.

We may pray less. We may read God’s Word less. We may rely more on our own strength. We may pursue success, money, position, and human recognition more than we pursue God.

Without realizing it, God is no longer at the center of our lives.

That is why God’s call to us today is: “Return to Me.”

God is not calling us merely to return to religion. God is calling us back to a right relationship with Him.

Revival begins when the hearts of people return to God.

Before we pray for Borneo to experience spiritual revival, we need to ask:

“Is my own heart truly close to God?”

2. Repentance Must Be Done With All Our Heart

God says: “Return to Me with all your heart...”

God does not ask for only part of our heart. He wants our whole heart.

We cannot give 50% of our heart to God and keep the other 50% for ourselves. True repentance requires complete surrender.

Sometimes we want God to forgive our sins, but we do not want to leave those sins behind.

We want God to bless our lives, but we do not want to surrender our will to Him.

We want revival to happen in the church, but we do not want God to deal with the sins and weaknesses in our personal lives.

This is not true repentance. Repentance says:

“Lord, my whole life belongs to You.”

We need to surrender:

• our hearts,

• our minds,

• our times,

• our families,

• our work,

• our finances,

• our ministries,

• our relationships,

• our dreams,

• dan masa depan kita kepada Tuhan.

When God has our hearts, He also has the right to determine the direction of our lives.

3. Repentance Requires Humility

Joel 2:12 says: “...with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

This describes the seriousness of the heart in seeking God. Repentance is not something we do casually. It requires a heart that truly understands the seriousness of sin and recognizes how much we need to return to God.

Sometimes we are too quick to say: “It’s okay.”

But sin is not a small matter before a holy God.

We need to learn to humble ourselves and say: “Lord, I need You.”

We do not have to wait for someone else to correct us.

We can come to God ourselves and say: “Search my heart.”

As David prayed in Psalm 139:23–24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart... See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

This is the kind of heart that is needed for revival. Not a heart that thinks it is already good enough. But a heart that says:

“Lord, there is still so much that You need to change in me.”

4. Do Not Just Feel Sorry — Return to God

There is a difference between regret and repentance.

Regret says: “I am sorry because I have sinned.”

Repentance says: “I am sorry because my sin has grieved the heart of God, and I want to leave that sin behind.”

Regret can cause someone to cry. But repentance leads to change.

Regret sees the mistake. Repentance changes direction.

Regret says: “I have done something wrong.”

Repentance says: “With God’s help, I do not want to continue living on the same path.”

That is why we need to ask: What do I need to leave behind?

Perhaps it is:

• bitterness toward someone,

• pride,

• selfishness,

• jealousy,

• greed,

• hidden sin,

• dishonesty,

• unholy habits,

• an unforgiving attitude,

• or a prayer life that has grown cold.

Do not merely confess it to God.

Turn back.

Leave that path and walk with God again.

5. Revival Begins With a Heart That Returns to God

The Revive Borneo Prayer Movement is not merely a program. It is a call to see genuine spiritual revival take place in the lives of God’s people.

We pray for Borneo to experience revival. But revival must begin personally.

I need to return to God. Then:

My family returns to God.

My church returns to God.

The leaders return to God.

God’s people throughout Borneo return to God.

When the hearts of God’s people return to Him, our prayers become more sincere, God’s Word becomes central to our lives again, holiness becomes a lifestyle, and our love for souls burns brightly again.

We do not merely want to see churches become bigger.

We want to see Christ become greater in our lives.

We do not merely want to see more spiritual activities.

We want to see hearts transformed by the Holy Spirit.

We do not merely want to talk about revival.

We want to be part of that revival.

< Personal Reflection >

Today, pause for a moment before God and ask yourself:

Is my heart still close to God? What has taken God’s place in my life? What sin do I need to confess and leave behind? Have I truly surrendered my whole heart to God? What is one thing God is asking me to do as a sign of repentance?

If the Holy Spirit is convicting us, do not harden our hearts. Do not run away from God. Return to Him.

God does not reject those who come to Him with a humble heart and genuine repentance.

Today, God is calling us: “Return to Me with all your heart.”

< Share & Discuss >

1. What is something in your life that God is asking you to leave behind and surrender to Him?

2. What does “returning to God with all your heart” mean practically in your life?

3. What is one step you can take this week to draw closer to God and live in holiness?

4. How can we, as God’s people, become part of the spiritual revival in Borneo?

Share this devotional with your family and friends so that more people of God in Borneo will be encouraged to humble themselves, repent, return to God, and live in holiness.

"Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” - Leviticus 19:2