
Joel 2:23
Message No. 0622 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
At the end of June this year, I had fresh sod laid on my yard, and it was very exciting because the lawn will be devoid of weed (at least for some time) and I was looking forward to cutting it and making it look all equal and good looking. However, the contractors laid the grass with a warning, that I was responsible for watering it for two hours daily in the first week and for alternate days in the following two weeks, failing which the grass will not take root and may disintegrate and die. I must say that I got very concerned when I noticed the amount of water that was needed to water the lawn daily and I am bracing up for the water bill at the end of the quarter.
In the midst of this, I started wondering, why did the contractors not lay this grass in spring when it rained daily, and people generally complained of too much rain? I would have not had the need to water the grass at all. Or why did they not lay it in fall, the second rain season? Either way I would have been spared of the work and the cost of watering the lawn! Then, for the moment, it downed on me that there are actually two rain seasons in the year: springtime (the former) and fall (the latter). The summer months are generally very dry, even when the weatherman predicts rain, it only just drops for two minutes at a time. The grass dries and dies easily without continuous watering.
Last week we wrote about bringing forth the fruit of repentance. We said that if we claim to have repented, then our lives should show that we are truly repented. In Joel chapter two, after encouraging the people to repent in prayer and fasting and rending of their hearts, Joel delivers the good news they have been waiting for. In verses 18 and 19, the Bible says:
Then the Lord will be zealous for His land And pity His people. The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
The first part of this year has been particularly difficult for most people, as inflation has risen so high that it broke 40-year records. To make matters worse, our central banks have gradually increased interest rates as a measure to combat the monster, but the measure only led to increased pain for everyone. First, everything from groceries to other daily needs have gone out of reach and then the increased rates make our loans and mortgages to be even costlier. Most people are asking, why do we need such a painful measure to correct such a painful problem.
As God’s children, we needn’t trouble our minds when situations like this occur. For, the God who has been sustaining us is not limited by inflation. In Joel 2:23, the Bible says:
Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.
We are reminded that God gave us the former rain faithfully and He will cause the latter rain to fall also, to deliver life to crops and rejuvenate those that may seem to have died. It does not matter what the pain may look like today, the latter rain is ahead of us. In verse 25 of Joel chapter 2, the Lord says He will restore to us the years that the swarming locust has eaten. So shall this be for everyone of us who trust in the Lord.
We are in God’s Kingdom and our economies are not driven by inflation, by central bank measures or by whatever else happens on this planet. In Genesis chapter 26, there was famine in the land, but the Bible says that Isaac sowed in the land and reaped 100-fold because the Lord blessed him. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I prophesy to you all that your blessings are coming. Keep on sowing because the latter rain is coming. As Job 5:22 says we shall laugh at destruction and famine, so shall it be for us all. Though the pain of the moment last for a while, the joy of His blessings are on the way. Remain faithful and wait for Him. Have a blessed week!
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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