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Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Joel 1:14 (CSB): “Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land at the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.”
Joel 2:12-13 (CSB): “Even now— this is the LORD’s declaration— turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.”
Joel 2:15-16 (CSB): “Blow the trumpet in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly. Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.”
Joel 2:17 (CSB): “… Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'”
Reflecting on God’s Word
The Old Testament book of Joel, named after the prophet who spoke on God’s behalf, is fascinating! It begins with a natural tragedy (locusts had devoured their crops, decimating their economy), and ties that calamity to God’s judgment.
Was God’s devastating judgment upon Israel the final word? It didn’t have to be! Joel called for God’s people to repent. We aren’t told what sin(s) they committed. We are simply told that their sin was tied to God’s judgment upon their nation. So, they were called to repent, to turn from their sin and turn back to God. And their repentance needed to be completely sincere, which originated in the depths of their hearts.
The first two chapters of Joel should prompt us to pause and assess our lives. Is there evidence that God is withholding blessings from us and possibly administering discipline/judgment because of some unconfessed sin(s)? If so, we need to repent of that sin(s), which means we acknowledge our guilt before God, receive His forgiveness, and resolve in the power of His Holy Spirit not to do it again.
But we need to repent with the seriousness that Joel called for. Our repentance before God needs to be from a heart that feels the weight of our sin, how that sin has offended a holy God, and we fall at the Lord’s feet, crying out for mercy.
Joel 2:12-13 (CSB): “Even now— this is the LORD’s declaration— turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.”
If we don’t repent, what’s at stake? Simply put, God’s Name is on the line!
Joel 2:17 (CSB): “… Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'”
People will hear that we are Christians, but they will see no evidence or benefit for following Jesus. Our lives will repel rather than draw them to the Lord!
Friend, our Christianity isn’t a private thing. It is very public. If others know we are Christians, some of them will watch us to see whether anything about our lives might be attractive to them.
God’s Name among our peers is on the line as we live our lives. Let us determine, in the power of God’s Holy Spirit, to live a life worthy of the Gospel. When we stumble, and we will, let’s own it, ask for forgiveness, and then get back on the road to greater degrees of holiness.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you see whether anything in your life is keeping Him from being honored among your peers.
- Repent of whatever sin you have not made right with Him and depend upon His Holy Spirit to resume your journey on the road to greater degrees of Christlikeness.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into what it takes to get right with God, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What does it mean to rend your heart (Joel 2:13)?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)
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