Showers of blessing are coming! Can’t you feel it? The Lord has shown Himself to us in a mighty way since November the 8th when we saw the election results. But how quickly we let our rejoicing turn to doubting once the haters of God began chiding us and talks of recounts came up. It is so hard to be positive in a room full of naysayers. But let’s look at what the Lord has done while we have been arguing the results of something He has His hand in.
The disaterious fires in Tennessee this week have left so many dead and others without homes and possessions. In the midst of disaster is where He stands the nearest to us it seems….or is it that those times are when we draw closest to Him?
In the clean-up, a Bible verse was found: Joel 1:19 O Lord, to thee will I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
Did you, like I did this morning, get your Bible and read the rest of the book of Joel? (The name Joel by the way means “Yahweh is God.”) In the book of Joel, disaster strikes without warning…in the SOUTHERN KINGDOM of Judah. An ominous black cloud, filled with locusts, descends upon the land. In a matter of hours every living green thing is stripped bare. The land and its people are devastated. Joel, God’s spokesman during that era, uses this time of disaster to proclaim God’s message. And what a mighty message it was…and IS for us today!
Joel 1:20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee; for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. (Tennessee has a shortage of water right now.) Joel 2: 1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord it is nigh at hand.
I don’t believe this means the world will end soon, like tomorrow, but it s coming and this fire is only a foretaste of God’s future judgements and its horror will pale in comparison to what will happen then….But good news is in the following verses.. It says the people will stand strong, the likes of which has never been seen before. If only we will turn back to Him.
Joel 2: 12 Therefore also now, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting and weeping and with mourning. 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger , and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
This message is not only for the people of Tennessee but FOR US ALL. Please hear it:
Joel 2: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children….17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep and let them say, “Spare thy people, O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them….18 Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19 Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people , Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will make you no more a reproach among the heathen. 20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea…..and his stink shall come up and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things. ( great evil) 21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: FOR THE LORD WILL DO GREAT THINGS! 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit. (All will be restored.) 23 Be glad then, ye children…and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst…and that I am the Lord your God, and none else; and my people shall never be ashamed. 28 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
These words filled my heart with such joy and secured my knowledge that God is always in charge and great things are coming for our country and our people. Read it…it even mentions a wall….everything our country is facing is mentioned in this book of Joel. We have already seen his mercy drops falling around us, but the showers (rain) of blessings are coming.
I truly believe that things are about to turn around for our country. It has already started with the election of Donald Trump and the confounding of the wise who thought he’d never be elected. I believe he was chosen and my faith is not in him, but in the ONE who chose him to lead us into a new and better government where God is exaulted and His name respected. We are entering a time when God’s people will no longer suffer “reproach among the heathen!”
Let’s cry out to God for healing and hope. Let the showers of blessing begin! Praise the Lord from whom ALL blessings flow! Amen.
