Today, my reading was very out of the ordinary as far as my bible readings go. Two of the four passages I read were end times messages, and two of the four mentioned food a lot to make their point. Let’s jump right into the book that contains both of these themes, the message of the prophet Joel.
Joel is talking about the past, present, and future destruction of Jerusalem because of its sin. Whether figuratively or literally, one of his main points is the absolute destruction of the crops of the farmers (which includes most of the Israelites). From Joel 1:4 all the way to the end of the chapter in Joel 1:20, the food is destroyed by locusts and fire, and the people are wailing. In the middle of the famine that the people are going through, Joel has a command in Joel 1:14-15: “Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to him there. The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!” I will stretch this to say that this can be applied in a spiritual dimension. I can confidently say that many people are in a famine in their faith right now. Their spiritual food has dried up, and they are hungry, but they don’t know what they will eat. So what does God say should be done? Fast, come together as a people of God, and cry out to him. A friend of mine blogged earlier today about crying out to God, and I find it to be no coincidence that it showed up in my scheduled devotionals as well. (Check the post out at http://consumingzeal.blogspot.com/2009/12/awaken-effortful-exertion.html) Fasting, people can understand that. A bunch of my friends fasted this weekend, from things like food, or Facebook. But, crying out to God? I don’t see that often. People just don’t get together and cry out for God. In churches, it’s more common for people get together and sing some soft, God-you’re-pretty-good type songs and hear little sermons about comfortable topics like love and faith and hope. Crying out desperately for the food to survive a physical or spiritual famine? Nope. God does not get cried out to in the good times, so people are not equipped to reach him in the bad times. The art of desperation is dying. Therefore, I encourage you to try this out, join together with a few brothers and sisters in Christ and cry out in prayer, even out loud and loudly, for the change you seek but cannot bring about without God. Because, see Joel 2:32, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Joel 2 is an absolutely terrifying chapter. Until Joel 2:11, I thought that it was describing the armies of Satan, devouring humanity. But, it is the Lord in judgment and His army who can “break through defenses without missing a step” (Joel 2:8). In the middle of the approach of the fearsome army of heaven, God says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” (Joel 2:12-13). After this, Joel adds that we should return to God, because He is merciful, compassionate, slow to get angry, and filled with love, and He doesn’t want to punish us, but he wants to be and will be a refuge for his people (Joel 3:16).
Today, where I live, before the snowstorm picked up, it was just rain. That annoying cold gray rain that does nothing for the snow on the ground but make it a mess. It was rain that was to be complained about, right? Not according to Joel, who says in Joel 2:23, “Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring.” In a season of dark and gloomy weather, God is showing his faithfulness through it. Wow. I don’t know if I’ll ever look at rain the same way again. Especially rain like the rain of today.
Today, my daily scheduled devotions for reading the Bible in a year (which, I’ve never read the Bible through in a year and this year is no different) also took me to the final book of the Bible, Revelation. For the most part, Revelation 1 just sets up the story, telling how John got a revelation which he was to take to the seven churches. Once I have more I can try to explain, I will, but for now, just remember the words of the Son of Man to us through John: “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” (Revelation 1:17-18). Don’t be afraid, even if the end times have arrived and the world is crashing down around you. Christ holds the keys of death and the grave. Eternity is in his hands. You are free to live for Him in the present, here and now.
I’m writing this post right before supper time, so the passages about food are starting to wear down on my stomach. But it is good, holding off on my physical needs until my spiritual needs are satisfied. (Remember in your own journey that spiritual needs should take a huge priority. God never said, “fast from me, go eat food.” It just doesn’t work that way.) Psalms 128:1-6 ESV reads “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!”
I hope that you will value the fruit of the labors you do for the kingdom of Heaven, because the Lord has great plans to bless you.
Be glad now and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things, (Joel 2:21)
-Zachariah