The Lord Saves! Joel 2:23-32

And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
    whom the Lord calls. Joel 2:32


The book of Joel is a powerful book, a fearful book, a book of judgement, a book of grace and mercy, a violent book, a book of triumph, a book of struggle and pain and a book of warning and assurance.  The crowning statement and truth from the book is this; "and everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."  

Judah was facing great hardship and destruction because of her enemies and when you read the opening verses of the book you don't find any comfort.  Actually Joel the prophet seems to be speaking to a people of terrible trouble and anguish of heart telling them that things would only get worse as the Day of the Lord approached.   What is the day of the Lord?  Was it something just around the corner?  Did Judah ever face the Day of the Lord or is the Day of the Lord still in the future?  That has been debated by many scholars much smarter than I am so I really don't want to get into that debate in my blog for today but I do want to look at the heart of God and we surely see the heart of God crying out loudly in the book of Joel.  

Israels enemies have concored them and will devastate them even more, so Joel warns them to be prepared.  He tells them to wail, weep and mourn and he tells them to return to the Lord!  Joel understands that turning to the Lord is there only hope.  Actually from the entire book we can see that God is ultimately in control over everything that has and will happen.   We may not fully understand the bad stuff but we can trust that the only hope for restoration and blessing are in His hands.

And hope starts the moment we fall on our knees in humble repentance.  

God tells Joel to call the people to gather in a great Sacred assembly and call upon the Lord with fasting and prayer.  (Joel 2:12-17)  Such passionate prayer by the leaders and common people would reach to the heavens.   2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us, "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." NKJV 

Not only would these types of prayers be heard but God would respond to them.   Indeed all who call upon the Lord will be saved.   When the Bible uses the word saved it speaks of physical, emotional, and yes Spiritual salvation.  A salvation that we have now and into eternity.

Indeed during this time of Lent we celebrate that we have a Savior who is with us.  We have a Savior and Redeemer who forgives our sins and restores us from our hardship.  In Lent we reflect upon our Savior Jesus Christ.

I just love what Joel says in chapter two about the extent of Gods blessing and abundance that he will give.  In verse 24 it says.  The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with ne wine and oil.  Then in verse 25a he says,  "I will repay you for the years the locust have eaten.."

Prayer:  The hardships and locust of our day have eaten away and destroyed so much in our lives.  We call upon your name today and are thankful that you sustain us, save us and out of your mercy and love you restore us.   Thank you for your salvation.

The way of restoration. Lamentations 3:21-26

Jeremiah was a prophet of God during very difficult times.... As God's spokesman he was there to warn the people of the impending collapse of the City of Jerusalem..... and after the fall he remained in Jerusalem speaking on behalf of the Lord to those who had been exiled to Babylon.


He gave the people an explanation of how their sin had brought this disaster upon them.  He also  spoke of the eventual hope of the nation which would return to Jerusalem some 70 years in the future. This wasn't the greatest news for those still living in Babylon.   For those he offers the instructions recorded in Jeremiah 29:4-14 as well as here in Ecclesiastes 3:21-26.   His instructions tells them to live faithfully and seek the Lord with their entire heart.  Jeremiah 29:13 and Lamentations 3:25

This would be their hope to sustain them and it is our hope as well.

Jeremiah could offer this advice because he knew of the Lord's faithfulness and forgiveness that after the time of disciple had done its work the Lord would help them to find the road of blessing again.    This is the process of restoration and this process is often painful but it is a grace of the Lord which would bring the people to a deeper intimacy with the Him.

With this belief in his heart Jeremiah would say what we find recorded in Lamentations 3:21-23 ... Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Perhaps each of us can speak of the faithfulness of the Lord in our past and in our present.   Many of these times we wonder why we deserved his favor.  Yet one thing we find throughout Scriptures is that God is with us in a special way.. and there is a special blessing reserved for those who seek him with their entire heart, despite the troubles around them.


 Knowing this Jeremiah would write..  I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;  it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.  Lamentations 3:24-26

Today we have difficulty with this idea of waiting quietly for the Lord.  When marriage troubles come, when financial struggles are on the horizons, when our lives are broken we tend to turn everyway but to the Lord and these behaviors bring our ruin much faster than the trials at hand.   Instead of waiting to see God in the midst of our pain we turn to addictions, new relationships, and we run from the Lord.  In this case perhaps God's only course of action is to allow us to fall or to discipline us. But even if we are falling his hand is close to us and protecting us.  Remember God is always waiting for His prodigal son and daughter to return.

Today I pray that you will lift your burdens to the Lord.  I pray you will trust in his faithfulness even when you don't understand.  I pray that you will seek the Lord and turn from any evil ways which harm others and side tract God's restoration in your life.   Remember God's hand is very near the broken hearted.    

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.