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 2:27,
"Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed."
Joel begins with a call to Israel to wake up: a devastating judgment of locusts from the Lord lays them waste. They had wandered from him and he calls them back to himself, "return to me with all your heart", Joel 2:12. In the midst of this prophecy of judgment is another message, the Lord assures his people of a time when he will again bless his people. This blessing takes place when Israel comes to its senses, knowing that the Lord is in Israel and recognizes he is the Lord their God.
We find in the pages of Scripture the Lord at times brings difficulties into the lives of his people. Often, the purpose is corrective in order to get his straying people back on track with his agenda as in Joel. Other times it might be to prepare his people for challenges that lie ahead, as with Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:9. Sometimes, as in the case of Job, the cause is kept from those who are his to fulfill a purpose no one at the time could possibly know.
One thing is certain, the Lord brings difficulties and challenges into the lives of those he loves. In Revelation 3:19 the Lord says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." The writer of Hebrews tells us, " Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons... but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11.
We are certain that all the Lord brings into the lives of those who are his has a design and intention that is good for us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..." Romans 8:28-29.
Even in the midst of our greatest difficulties, when it seems the Lord is as far away from us as he possibly can be, it just may be the time when he is closest to us, working within us his perfection, working through us to achieve his agenda and throughout all, to bring his very best into our lives.
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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