Devotions based on Week 2 of The Prophets: Joel (WATCH HERE)
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near…” (Joel 3:14).
The day of the Lord.
This phrase is often used for a day of reckoning for God’s people. Connected with the day of the Lord is usually a call to repentance and for hearts to turn back to him before the physical or natural disaster takes place.
For Joel and his readers, it was the plague of locusts. However, as most prophecies do, there is often an immediate fulfillment during or close to the time of the prophet, as well as a pointing forward to Christ’s first coming in Bethlehem and then ultimately his second coming at the last day of the earth.
To be sure, the Spirit gave and preserved the words of Joel for us today to be aware of and ready for the “Day of the Lord.” The Spirit of God wanted our hearts to be oriented to the Lord and resting firmly in the confidence of faith in Jesus as Savior.
Because at the time of Christ’s return, there will be a public statement of decision. Jesus teaches this in Matthew 25:31-46: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The day of the Lord will be a sobering exhibit of God’s justice. All who have rejected him as Savior and shown it by a lack of love and service to others will not spend an eternity with him. Those that have faith in Jesus and have shown it through a life of love and service will be welcomed into the realm of heaven.
The blessing is the Lord through Joel and Jesus let us know it is coming. We have time to prepare and be ready. How are we ready?
Joel speaks of that too: (2:32) And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;…
There is nothing more important to be ready for the Day of the Lord than to call on the name of the Lord in faith. For only in the Lord is salvation. Only in the Lord are we ready for the Day of the Lord.
Apply: The reminder of Christ’s second coming is a call to faith and a call to put the Lord first in all aspects of life. What needs to shift in your life to put these priorities in place and be ready for the second coming of Jesus?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love that tells us of the Day you are planning to return. While we don’t know the when, we know you want us to be ready. Draw us close to you and empower us to live for you with all the days you give us. Amen.