Day 250

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The Day of the Locust

Joel Introduction

The locusts have come. And suddenly every green thing is gone. God's spokesman Joel uses this national disaster to bring a dire warning of a far worse catastrophe. Not locusts, but an army from the north will attack Judah. The only hope of escape in this day of the Lord is to repent: "Let your remorse tear at your hearts and not your garments." If his people will repent, instead of devastating judgment God will send unparalleled blessing. He will judge the nations that hurt his people and bring peace to Zion.

Scripture

September 6—Joel 1-3: Judgment by Locust and the Lord

Observation

The headline in Joel's day screamed forth the news: "Locust Plague Strips Countryside Bare; Worst Disaster in Decades." But God uses the occasion to teach the prophet Joel and through his pen, the nation of Judah an important truth about the future. Though the land had been laid desolate by the locusts, its condition would pale by comparison with the destruction to be inflicted during the day of the Lord the time when the Lord would destroy his enemies and exalt his friends. There can only be one proper response in the face of such warnings: obedience to God!

A day like no other—five times in Joel the phrase "the day of the Lord" appears, and you'll find it more than twenty-five additional times in the Bible. Do a treasure hunt through the following verses to discover more about this most remarkable "day": Isaiah 2:12; Isaiah 13:6-9; Ezekiel 13:5; Ezekiel 30:3; Amos 5:18; Zephaniah 1:7 , Zephaniah 1:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10.

Application

You are driving down the highway when suddenly a little red light begins to flash on your dashboard. You are faced with a choice. You can either (a) stop and tend to the problem (which will cause the red light to quit flashing, or (b) take out a hammer and smash the warning light. Which would you choose?

Perhaps you chuckled at the second option. And yet, every day countless Christians take out mental hammers and smash the warning lights God has provided for their safety: Conscience, counsel, the direct commands of God's Word. Rather than correct the problem, they ignore the warning then wonder what happened when their spiritual "motor" sputters and stops.

God sent a locust plague in Joel's day to act as a warning light to the nation. Where is a warning light blinking on and off in your life? Perhaps it's a traffic ticket, or a bad report card or an ulcer. Don't ignore God's voice. Write down the "lesson from the locusts" he intends you to learn today!

Prayer

God, our aim today and forever is to be fully committed to you through your Word and by our spreading the "Good News". We surrender ourselves completely to you in obedience. Use us for your divine purposes to demonstrate to the world that you are God and there is no other but you. Who else have all power in their hand? None other than the who came to his own and his own didn't receive him. But through him from that day to eternity, he receives us believers those that believe on him to reign with him. Thank you, Lord, for our salvation on earth that leads to eternity with you. In Jesus' name! Amen!

Our Promised Reward!



© Odessa Mathis about my Father's business! 2020

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