[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 𝕐𝔸ℍ𝕎𝔼ℍ,
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!