Joel 2:12-17 “Even now,” declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord, Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
The people of Judah were experiencing a plague of locusts in Israel that devastated the land. God called them to come together in repentance and seek God. When we recognize our need and seek God—He will answer.
What are the needs in our county and surrounding area? What do we do in the midst of desperate needs? With fasting, weeping and mourning. Confess our sins, and have broken and contrite hearts. Today is a day to put aside all pride, to address our sin, and focus on God. The Bible is very clear: we are finite beings that have a beginning and an end who will one day answer to God.
We MUST acknowledge the consequences of sin. The ONLY way to deal with sin is by humbling ourselves before the mighty hand of God, by confessing our sins, by repenting from our offensive ways to God and by simply receiving His mercy, and grace and forgiveness.
God is merciful. He wants to reach down in compassion. But we must call on Him.
It starts with repentance. Looking at our own hearts. I’ve been doing that in recent weeks. My own pride, self-sufficiency. Bondage to time and other’s expectations.
“We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us have turned to his own way, but God has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. Is. 53:5
Judgment comes when we fail to meet God’s standards—so when we repent and turn from our wicked ways, He will be merciful and send a blessing instead.
Verses 15-17 A Call for a Sacred Assembly—Everyone was to come.
Joel has been preaching for a verdict. He wasn’t just preaching a feel-good, self-help message. He was preaching to the people about their real condition. And in preaching to them about their real condition, his goal wasn’t to get them depressed. His goal was to get them to do something. Sin, confession/repentance.
Scripture tells us that God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. It also tells us that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself, the same will be exalted.