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Showing posts with label Joel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joel. Show all posts

Sunday, July 02, 2023

Short Reflection from Joel 1-3

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[6:35 am, 15/01/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝟙:𝟛

"Tell your sons about it, And let your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation."

The responsibility of parents is shown here: to educate them in the way of the Lord. To pass on the legacy of God's greatness. To promise them with hope and to warn them of destruction.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝟚:𝟚𝟙

"Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the LORD has done great things."

God always gives hope of deliverance, a promise of prosperity. For, indeed, all the hardships too are just to help His people realize that the life of a transgressor is hard, and the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝟛:𝟛

"They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot And sold a girl for wine that they may drink."

We look at the immorality and wickedness of our world and wonder, how can God allow such and such things to happen under our very nose!

Well, it's not unprecedented. Worse things had happened already and will happen again, but God is absolutely in control.

A high view of God and a low view of man (ourselves) will give a lot of peace in our lives!

Friday, October 14, 2022

Bible Reading Reflection from Joel 1-3

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible] 

𝕁𝕆𝔼𝕃 𝟙:𝟙𝟡

𝕋𝕠 𝕐𝕠𝕦, 𝕆 𝕐𝔸𝕎𝔼, 𝕀 𝕔𝕣𝕪; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.”

Joel starts his book with a prophecy of judgment, and a call to repentance. And he ends this chapter with a cry for salvation.

𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕀 𝕠𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕖:

1. He practices what he preaches.

2. He is by far one of the holiest men of his generation. He should be one of the last people to repent, however, he is the first one who cries out for God. What a demonstration!

3. Many people curse God for adversity. In the book of Revelation, John saw people in tribulation don’t repent rather they curse God. However, Joel, like any true believer cries out to God for deliverance. So must we!

This line in Hebrew reads like this, and I love to memorize it in the original language: "𝓔𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓴𝓱𝓪 𝓨𝓪𝓱𝔀𝓮𝓱 𝓮𝓴𝓻𝓪𝓱*

 

𝕁𝕆𝔼𝕃 𝟚:𝟙𝟙, 𝟚𝟙, 𝟚𝟚

v11. "The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?"

v21. "Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the Lord has done great things."

v22. “Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green . . .”

Joel described the terrible day of the Lord which no one can endure, and yet after a call to repentance, he described the salvation of the Lord in a most comforting way, "Do not fear." And interestingly, it's repeated 2 times, and they are to the lands and animals!

There's grace, mercy, and deliverance for those who seek God. So sure, is His judgment that we may wonder whether God will ever be nice again, but so sure is His deliverance too.

A few years ago, my dad was upset with all of us for not becoming officers by now. He went away from our family gathering. The next morning, he was still upset too. And I was wondering whether this would go on forever? "Will he ever be happy again?

Also, in the last 7 years (2012-2019), I was heavily molded by God, and I wondered for 7 years what a shattered dream could turn about, and what the joy of life on this side of heaven looked like? Well, it took 7 years of drought, but in the 8th year, there was a refreshing rain of joy in a realization that "God is God, and that I am not a god."

 

𝕁𝕆𝔼𝕃 𝟛:𝟛

"They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink."

Have you ever seen such a wicked thing in your community or village? My village looks like heaven on earth when I see the sins recorded in the Bible. As of now, I feel like we, all are like angels compared to Abraham the polygamous; David the polygamous, adulterer, and murderer.

Well! BTW, before we congratulate ourselves, let's remember that no matter what the smallest sin and the biggest sin are, they all are the same in the eyes of God. And if we are so furious against "big" sins such as this, may we be furious at our own tiny sin too!

And if we wonder how could God let the homosexual revolution gain momentum in this world, let's remember God is not surprised, He has dealt with it far worse than this before. Nothing is indeed new, especially sin!