For those people who have God in their hearts, and are living in God's word, this day of the Lord is welcome. The long for the day God will come and fight for them, showing the world his mighty power. They know God will avenge them, against all those who have neglected them, wronged them, hurt them in his name. They do not fear death.
For those who are not right with God, this day is fearful. It will hold nothing but gloom for them. They are afraid of death and worry of the last day. Or at least they should be. There are those who mock God and don't think they should be afraid, but when they see the chariots coming, like dark clouds over the horizon, they will tremble.
But it doesn't have to be that way for them! God tells them again and again to turn from their ways and to seek him with their hearts, and he is there for them. They just have to be willing to let go. Let go of their idols, which in today's times includes jobs, entertainment, alcohol, sports icons, movie stars, and everything that is put in front of God.
Joel 2:13 Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.
He does not want us to be like the Israelites, when so overcome with grief would tear their garments. This is just an outer sign of sorrow. It is the same as a child saying "I'm sorry" to a sibling without really meaning it, and that same child going back and committing the same error against their sibling the next day. God wants us to show our broken hearts, to really see our repentance. He wants to know we are truly open to him. We need to know he will heal and forgive if our hearts are in the right place. We need to let go of our time and our place in life, and follow his call.
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