The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 1:12,
"The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away."
Here is a vivid picture of what the judgment of the Lord has brought to his people. "Surely the joy of mankind is withered away." That which should bring happiness in life has been taken away. The fullness and fulfillment of life has been taken away. That which brings joy has been taken away.
All this happened because God's people turned from him. He calls out to them, "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God..." 2:13.
In a sense, living in this world today is very similar. As we look at the conditions and environment God provided Adam and Eve, how disheartening it is to see what we now have in stark contrast to what God provided them. When Adam and Eve turned from God it brought the consequences of his judgment. Living in this lost and fallen world can be very discouraging at times. The world, struggling under the heavy weight of God's judgment and populated by people dominated by a sinful nature provides for a discouragement and despair that robs mankind of their joy.
But... this is not the whole story! One of the many wonderful things I love about our God is that he provides us hope, wonderful hope that restores true joy, true happiness, true excitement about the future. Further in this prophecy God gave Joel, he speaks of a future time. "Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. The Lord will reply to them: 'I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations." Joel 2:18-19.
So it is for this lost and fallen world. The Lord has provided us a means to escape his judgment and to once again experience his rich and wonderful blessings. God's Son, Jesus Christ, has paid the penalty for all sins of mankind and any who embrace him in faith have a wonderful hope to look forward to.
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.'" Revelation 21:1-7.
How wonderful is this? David characterized this by saying "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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