Through the Bible: JoelSample

Cry Out to Him!

The grapevines and fig trees have withered; all the fruit trees have wilted and died. The joy of the people is gone. Put on sackcloth and weep, you priests who serve at the altar! Go into the Temple and mourn all night! There is no grain or wine to offer your God. Give orders for a fast; call an assembly! Gather the leaders and all the people of Judah into the Temple of the Lord your God and cry out to him!

Joel 1:12-14 (GNT)

The prophet Joel describes a terrible time for the kingdom of Judah--when the land was ravaged by locusts. Some suggest the locusts represent the Chaldean armies which would pillage the land in 597 BC. In any case, Joel’s words speak of a time when all was lost, causing the people to become downcast.

What next? Joel asked the people to mourn. They had turned away from the Lord, causing the righteous judgment of God to come upon them. Through prayer and fasting, they could now choose to humble themselves and cry out to God.

When calamity hits because of our own wrongdoing, the Lord invites us to come to our senses. Through fasting and prayer, we remember we are both hopeless and helpless without God. We repent, realigning our hearts and minds with the Lord. We cry out. And every time (as seen in Joel 2-3), because of God’s great mercy and compassion, He will answer and restore.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing us when we cry out to You. Thank You for Your unfailing mercy and compassion. Today, give us clean hands and a pure heart to follow Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.