Bad News, Better News

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | Cody King

Joel 

There’s a phrase we have all heard: “I’ve got good news and bad news.” If you had the choice, which would you want first? Most people choose the bad news. There is a strange mercy in that. Once we understand what is wrong, the good news becomes more than a pleasant thought—it becomes rescue.

The gospel begins with the worst news: sin is not mainly outside of us; it is within us. We often assume our biggest problem is our circumstances. If we could change schools, leave a difficult relationship, find a better friend group, move somewhere new, or remove one tempting app from our phones, then surely we would be fine.

But we carry our hearts everywhere we go.

As Paul Tripp writes, “I can run from a situation, I can run from a location, I can run from a relationship, but I cannot run from myself.” Our deepest problem is not merely what has happened to us, but what sin has done in us. We cannot repair our own hearts by trying harder, looking better, or managing our image.

Joel confronted God’s people with this bad news. Their sin was real, and God’s judgment was righteous. Yet, remarkably, judgment was not Joel’s final word. God extended an invitation:

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart…
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
—Joel 2:12–13

In biblical times, tearing one’s garments was an outward expression of grief. But God wanted more than torn clothing. He wanted torn hearts—honest sorrow over sin, genuine turning, and dependence upon His mercy. We still “rend our garments” today. We clean up our language.. We curate our social media. We hide what is really happening in our minds and homes. We try to appear better rather than coming honestly to the God who already knows us completely.

But the good news is greater than our performance. The Lord is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13). He promises forgiveness, salvation, and even His Spirit. So, we can stop performing and “rend” our hearts and come to Jesus honestly, and find that the Spirit is not simply a reward for people who have fixed themselves; He is God’s gift to those who turn to Christ for mercy.